Equitable Elites and Exclusive Inclusivity: Examining the Pursuit of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice at Well-Resourced, Elite Private Boarding Schools

Abstract

Many elite private boarding schools that occupy privileged places within the educational landscape seem increasingly focused on issues of egalitarian social justice. The rhetoric of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) and related programs initiated by these schools are well-meaning, yet given the nature of such schools, the tensions between egalitarianism and elitism and between inclusion and exclusivity are both striking and disconcerting. Is it possible for “elite,” well-resourced private boarding schools to contribute to a more equal society? To contribute to a more just society? Given the educational inequality in the United States, how is the existence of such schools justified? Through an examination of the political philosophy concerning educational justice, the sociology of elite education, and the history of elite boarding schools, this dissertation explores the ways in which such schools may or may not be consistent with notions of egalitarian social justice. In order to provide an empirical lens on the issue and to help understand what schools are saying and how people make sense of the aforementioned tensions, the philosophical, historical, and sociological analysis is in conversation with an analysis of the rhetoric present on school websites and with the voices of current private school leaders. Finally, within the framework of nonideal political theory, this dissertation provides recommendations for how, regardless of their theoretical legitimacy, elite private boarding schools might do more to serve the cause of justice in our world.