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"It ́s a very scary time": En kvalitativ studie om DEI-arbetets språkliga radering och operativa navigering i en transnationell kontext
Malmö University, Faculty of Culture and Society (KS), Department of Global Political Studies (GPS).
2026 (Swedish)Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesisAlternative title
”It ́s a very scary time” : A Qualitative Study on Linguistic Erasure and Operational Navigation of DEI Work in a Transnational Context. (English)
Abstract [eo]

This bachelor´s thesis examines how Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is constructed andoperationalized within transnational organization with Swedish origins. The study specificallyhighlights the tension between global strategic directives and local practices in an eracharacterized by political uncertainty and a growing global counter-movement againstinclusion work, often referred to as “Trumpism”.Using a qualitative approach with an abductive research strategy, semi-structured interviewswere conducted with informants active in Human Resources, Legal, and Learning &Development across Australia, The USA, and Sweden. The study is grounded in socialconstructionism and applies an intersectional lens alongside Sara Ahmed´s theory of nonperformativityto analyze the empirical material.The results indicate that the legitimacy of DEI work is in a state of acute renegotiation,particularly in the U.S. context where a functional erasure of justice-oriented terminologyforces a form of “Guerrilla DEI”. In the Swedish and Australian contexts, a de-politicizationof the work occurs as DEI instead framed as a matter of safety, psychological security, andrational business logic. The study also exposes a risk of non-performativity, where measurablesuccesses in gender representation risk obscuring continued homogeneity in otherintersectional dimensions. The conclusion suggests that the future of DEI work requiresdeeper integration into core organizational strategy to withstand external political pressuresand move beyond purely symbolic representation.

Abstract [sv]

Denna uppsats undersöker hur Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) konstrueras och operationaliseras inom en transnationell organisation med rötter i Sverige. Studien belyser särskilt spänningsfältet mellan globala strategiska direktiv och lokala praktiker i en tid präglad av politisk osäkerhet och en växande global motrörelse mot inkluderingsarbete, ofta benämnd som ”Trumpism”.Genom en kvalitativ ansats med abduktiv forskningsstrategi har semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförts med informanter verksamma inom Human Resources, Legal samt Learning &Development i Australien, USA och Sverige. Studien vilar på en socialkonstruktionistisk grund och tillämpar ett intersektionellt prisma tillsammans med Sara Ahmeds teori om Ickeperformativitet för att analyser det empiriska materialet. Resultatet visar att legitimiteten för DEI-arbete befinner sig i ett tillstånd av akut omförhandling, särskilt i den amerikanska kontexten där en funktionell radering av rättvisebegrepp tvingar fram en form av ”gerilla-DEI”. I den svenska och australiensiska kontexten sker i stället en avpolitisering av arbetet genom att DEI ramas in som en fråga om säkerhet, psykologisk trygghet och rationell affärslogik. Studien blottlägger även en risk för icke-performativitet där mätbara framgångar inom könsrepresentation riskerar att dölja en fortsatt homogenitet i andra intersektionella dimensioner. Slutsatsen pekar på att framtidens DEI-arbete kräver en djupare integration i organisationens kärnstrategi för att motstå externa påtryckningar och röra sig bortom rent symbolisk representation.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2026. , p. 55
Keywords [en]
Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Intersectionality, Non-performativity, Transnational organizations, Trumpism, Organizational change, Social constructionism, Power structures.
Keywords [sv]
Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Intersektionalitet, Icke-performativitet, Transnationella organisationer, Trumpism, Organisationsförändring, Socialkonstruktionism, Maktordningar.
National Category
International Migration and Ethnic Relations
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-86367OAI: oai:DiVA.org:mau-86367DiVA, id: diva2:2076235
Educational program
KS GPS International Migration and Ethnic Relations
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Examiners
Available from: 2026-06-25 Created: 2026-06-21 Last updated: 2026-09-11Bibliographically approved

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