A Deep dive within the landscapes of contested meanings of “Equity”
Concepts emerge through the experience of humans, they are dependant on the intersubjective reality shared by a group. it then follows logically that a concept morphs its meaning along with the changes in any of the factors of that intersubjective space.
The Systemic / Structural Perspective (The Architect of Hierarchy)
This is the perspective of the dominant power structure (e.g., the Spanish Crown, colonial administrations, neoliberal state) as it constructs and maintains systems of othering.
Definition: Equity is a dangerous and illogical disruption of meritocracy and natural market outcomes. It is framed as “reverse discrimination” that unfairly rewards undeserving groups at the expense of deserving individuals.
Manifestation
This perspective defends the status quo distribution of resources as fair, achieved through individual effort and talent within a supposedly neutral system. From this viewpoint:
“Equality” is preferred over “Equity.” The argument is that everyone should have the same starting line (e.g., the same law applies to all), ignoring how historical and systemic disadvantages make a mockery of this “sameness.” This is the ideology of colorblind racism, which claims neutrality while perpetuating inequality.
Policies aimed at equity, like reparations or affirmative action, are seen as an unfair punishment of the dominant group for past wrongs they didn’t personally commit. Equity is framed as a violation of the “just” order.
The Perspective of the Marginalized (The Subject of Hierarchy)
This is the perspective of those on the “lower end” of the constructed marginalization/privilege hierarchy, as articulated by critical voices within these groups.
Definition: Equity is the just and necessary redistribution of resources, power, and opportunities to repair historical harms and level a profoundly uneven playing field. It is the material foundation for any meaningful justice.
Manifestation
For marginalized groups, equity is not an abstract ideal but a prerequisite for survival and liberation. It is concrete and historical.
It is the difference between being given a ladder (equality) and the recognition that the entire structure is built on land stolen from you (requiring land back or reparations as equity).
It encompasses land back for Indigenous peoples, reparations for slavery and colonialism, universal healthcare and housing, and the dismantling of the school-to-prison pipeline. It is about outcomes, not just intentions.
As scholar Iris Marion Young argued in Justice and the Politics of Difference, justice requires dismantling not only distributive inequalities but also the “structures of decision-making, division of labor, and culture” that produce them.
The Perspective of Internalized Racism (The Internalized Oppressor)
This is the perspective that has been absorbed by individuals within marginalized groups, reflecting the logic of the dominant system.
Definition: Equity is an affront to one’s individual achievements and a source of shame, suggesting that one’s success is not wholly earned but is instead tainted by group-based handouts.
Manifestation
This perspective internalizes the systemic myth of meritocracy. An individual from a marginalized group who has “succeeded” by assimilating may view equity initiatives with hostility.
They might think, “I made it without special help, so why can’t they?” This viewpoint ignores their own unique circumstances, the hidden barriers others face, and the structural advantages they may have accessed through assimilation (e.g., proximity to whiteness via light skin or class).
It sees equity as devaluing individual struggle and reinforcing the very group stereotypes it seeks to overcome, by framing the group as inherently needing help.
The Neoliberal Co-optation Perspective (The Manager of Dissent)
This is the perspective of the system adapting to demands for change without altering its fundamental power dynamics
Definition: Equity is a narrow, depoliticized goal of closing specific, measurable “gaps” (e.g., in pay, graduation rates) through technical solutions and individual advancement, without challenging the underlying economic system that produces these gaps.
Manifestation
Neoliberalism is adept at shrinking the radical demand for equity into a manageable project.
It reframes the call for redistributive justice into a project of “economic mobility” for individuals. The goal becomes helping a few “exceptional” marginalized individuals climb the ladder, rather than questioning why the ladder leads to a cliff for so many or who is shaking it.
It promotes “equity” as a data point—focusing on closing the gender pay gap within a corporation without addressing the fact that the CEO’s salary is 500 times that of the median worker. The structure of capitalist inequality remains untouched.
It champions “investing” in marginalized communities through corporate-sponsored programs or microloans, which is a charitable, market-based approach that avoids the need for taxing wealth and funding robust, universal public goods. This is the ultimate painkiller: addressing symptoms with small-scale solutions that leave the disease of racial capitalism intact.
The Dissident / Critical Researcher’s Perspective
A multifield with a critical dissident lens, this perspective synthesizes and analyzes all of the different perspectives and their contradictions.
Definition: From the critical dissident perspective, Equity is the active, contested, and material process of dismantling oppressive structures by redistributing power, resources, and opportunities to repair historical harms and create a foundation for genuine, collective liberation. It is the necessary economic and political precondition for any just world.
Comprehensive view
From a critical, systemic lens, “Equity” must be understood as a radical and non-negotiable demand that is fundamentally incompatible with the current distribution of property and power.
Equity is Not Equality. The critical perspective insists on the famous visual metaphor: equality is giving everyone the same-sized box to see over a fence; equity is giving people boxes of different sizes so everyone can see over. Justice is dismantling the fence. This framework clarifies that equity is a necessary step toward justice, but it is a corrective measure within an unjust system, not the end goal.
Equity is Historical and Reparative. It is not a gift or a charity. It is a form of reparation for historical and ongoing dispossession—from the theft of land and labor to the systemic defunding of communities. Therefore, it is not a “preference” but a debt owed.
Equity is Incompatible with Capitalism. A true commitment to equity would require a radical redistribution of wealth that challenges the very foundation of capitalist accumulation, which has always been predicated on exploitation along racial, gender, and colonial lines. This is why neoliberal co-optation is so necessary for the system: it must defang the concept of its redistributive teeth.
Equity is the Material Base for Diversity and Inclusion. Without equity, “diversity” is tokenism and “inclusion” is assimilation. You cannot be truly included in a structure that systematically denies you the resources to thrive. Equity provides the material foundation—the land, the money, the health, the safety—required for meaningful participation and self-determination.
“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.”
― Angela Y. Davis
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