The issues of diversity and inclusion can be addressed and discussed in various dimensions and perspectives. Diversity is commonly defined in terms of observable characteristics, such as gender, race, ethnicity, and age. However, other non-observable characteristics such as culture, sexual orientation, lifestyle, or even socioeconomic background have also been considered as additional dimensions for measuring and defining diversity. Some even conclude that the concept of diversity should represent "the varied perspectives and approaches to work that members of different identity groups bring" (Roberson 214).
In the realms of interior design and architecture, diversity can be measured in terms of the population and census characteristics of the professionals, practitioners, educators, and students in the fields. But the concept of diversity can also be interpreted in terms of the aesthetics, designs, and styles associated with identity groups, e g., African design and Asian aesthetics.
This research guide pulls together a variety of resources and references to assist you to explore, examine, and address diversity in various perspectives. In light of the Black Lives Matter movement, a separate tab/section is dedicated to African-American interior designers and architects and the aesthetics and designs associated with black culture in the U.S.
This research guide is not meant to be comprehensive nor exhaustive. It provides you with some preliminary lists of references and basic resources to guide your research and exploration. We have emphasized materials and content accessible through the NYSID Library's print and electronic holdings. Additional content can be found if you conduct your research beyond the NYSID's holdings. Moreover, it is also a work in progress. Please feel free to submit your comments and input to the library team via email.
A survey of diversity statements of institutions and organizations related to interior design and architecture may also give us a general understanding of the state of diversity in our professions and communities.
"About the American Society of Interior Designers." American Society of Interior Designers. n.d. www.asid.org/about. Accessed 17 July 2020. (Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the ASID's Diversity & Inclusion Statement).
"Diversity." American Library Association. 19 April 2007. www.ala.org/aboutala/diversity. Accessed 17 July 2020.
"Diversity and Inclusion Statement." The American Institute of Architects. www.aia.org/pages/15346-diversity-and-inclusion-statement. Accessed 17 July 2020.
"Search Results for: Diversity." DesignMatters. International Interior Design Association. n.d. designmatters.iida.org/?s=diversity&submit=Search. Accessed 17 July 2020.
The following is a list of selected print or electronic books and articles on diversity, inclusiveness, equality, and racism. While some of them are general in scope, a few are specific to the fields of interior design and architecture. You can also expand your search in the Library catalog (Bobcat), EBSCO e-book and EBSCO e-article databases, and JSTOR by combining various related searches with boolean terms, such as "minorities AND (interior design or interior architecture)", or "(black or African American) AND architects".
Print Books:
Dixon, David. "Creating Community in the Midst of Diversity." Solomon, Nancy B., and American Institute of Architects. Architecture : Celebrating the Past, Designing the Future. New York : Washington, D.C.: Visual Reference Publications ; The American Institute of Architects, 2008. Print. pp. 338-355.
Harris, Dianne Suzette, Dianne Suzette Ballon, and Ballon, Hilary. Little White Houses : How the Postwar Home Constructed Race in America. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota, 2013. Print. Architecture, Landscape, and American Culture Ser.
Kottak, Conrad Phillip. Cultural Anthropology : Appreciating Cultural Diversity. 14th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill;, 2011. Print.
Lupkin, Paula, and Penny Sparke. Shaping the American Interior : Structures, Contexts and Practices. 2018. Print.
Martin, Caren S., and Denise A. Guerin. The State of the Interior Design Profession. New York: Fairchild, 2010. Print.
Steinfeld, White, Levine, White, Jonathan, and Levine, Danise R. Inclusive Housing : A Pattern Book : Design for Diversity and Equality. 1st ed. New York : [Buffalo, N.Y.]: W.W. Norton & ; In Association with the Center for Inclusive Design & Environmental Access, School of Architecture & Planning, U at Buffalo, The State U of New York, 2010. Print.
Articles:
Anthony, Kathryn H. “Designing for Diversity: Implications for Architectural Education in the Twenty-First Century.” Journal of Architectural Education (1984-), vol. 55, no. 4, 2002, pp. 257–67. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/1425727. Accessed 16 Aug. 2023.
Davis, Regina. “Writing Multiculturalism into Architecture Curricula.” Journal of Architectural Education (1984-), vol. 47, no. 1, 1993, pp. 30–37. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1425225. Accessed 16 Aug. 2023.
DiAngelo, Robin. “White Fragility.” International Journal of Critical Pedagogy, vol. 3 (3), 2011, pp. 54-70. libjournal.uncg.edu/ijcp/article/view/249/116. Accessed 17 July 2020.
Drab, Theodore. "Prejudice as an Obstacle to Multiculturalism in the Teaching of Design History." Journal of Interior Design, vol. 24, no. 2, Sept. 2008, pp. 12-16. Wiley Online Library, doi:10.1111/j.1939-1668.1998.tb00324.x. Accessed 29 July 2020.
Hadjiyanni, Tasoulla. "Decolonizing Interior Design Education." Journal of Interior Design, vol. 45: no. 2, June 2020, pp. 3-9. Wiley Online Library, doi:10.1111/joid.12170. Accessed 29 July 2020.
May, Bridget A. "Lessons in Diversity: Origins of Interior Decoration Education in the United States, 1870–1930." Journal of Interior Design, vol. 42, no. 3, Sept 2017, pp. 5-28. Wiley Online Library, doi:10.1111/joid.12086. Accessed 29 July 2020.
“A Response to ‘An Interior of Inclusion or The Illusion of Inclusion.’” Journal of Interior Design, vol. 44, no. 2, June 2019, pp. 77–83. EBSCOhost, search-ebscohost-com.nysid.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asu&AN=136784981&site=ehost-live. Accessed 20 July 2020.
Roberson, Quinetta M.. “Disentangling the Meanings of Diversity and Inclusion in Organizations.” Group & Organization Management 31 (2006): 212 - 236. ideas.wharton.upenn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Roberson2006.pdf. Accessed 17 July 2020.
Travis, Jack. “An Interior of Inclusion or The Illusion of Inclusion.” Journal of Interior Design, vol. 43, no. 3, Sept. 2018, pp. 3–7. EBSCOhost, search-ebscohost-com.nysid.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asu&AN=132087827&site=ehost-live. Accessed 20 July 2020.
Wilkie, Dana. “Minority Report.” ASID ICON, vol. 11, no. 2, Mar. 2009, pp. 14–17. EBSCOhost, search-ebscohost-com.nysid.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asu&AN=55120849&site=ehost-live. Accessed 17 July 2020.
Videos:
Ventura, Robert. "2020 IDEC Annual Conference Pecha Kucha Presentation: Blind Spot." YouTube, uploaded by IDEC. 5 June 2020, youtu.be/XqpZ1bpo_aI. Accessed 22 July 2020.
Websites:
Design As Protest. Civic Creatives and Colloqate. www.dapcollective.com. Accessed 20 Aug. 2020.
