Unity across difference requires integrating, not absorbing, diverse positions

Evidence

What the growth of such pluralistic networks demonstrates is that a large-scale social or environmental justice movement can be unified, but it cannot be uniform. An insistence on uniformity will limit the diversity of stories of injustice, the multiple forms it takes, and the variety of solutions it calls for. The movements demonstrate the power of what Mary Parker Follett (1918) long ago called a ‘unity without uniformity’ as they illustrate justice and environmental justice on so many dimensions simultaneously. Follett’s conception is pretty straightforward, and brings some substance to the idea of ‘unity in diversity.’ She discussed a form of unity that would have people recognize differences rather than dismiss them by differentiating quite clearly the terms unity and uniformity. ‘Unity, not uniformity, must be our aim. We attain unity only through variety. Differences must be integrated, not annihilated, nor absorbed.’ Uniformity, she argued, was absorptive, rather than inclusive. Follett’s is a salad bowl metaphor, rather than a melting pot; she used ‘good words’ like compound and harmonize, as opposed to ‘bad words’ like fuse and melt (p. 29). There is no contradiction, in this form of unity, between unity and differentiation; in fact, Follett argued, heterogeneity is the only way to construct unity (p. 40). — David Schlosberg, Defining Environmental Justice, 614

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines the key distinction between unity-without-uniformity and absorptive uniformity from Follett.
• XREF: The salad-bowl vs melting-pot opposition and ‘heterogeneity builds unity’ fold into the plural-justice discussion and connects to Fraser-style integration of difference. — connects to: A plural justice frame strengthens rather than dilutes movement cohesion — David Schlosberg, Defining Environmental Justice:…, 604; Resolving conflict must not be conflated with erasing diversity — David Schlosberg, Defining Environmental Justice:…, 624; Articulated unity relates parts through differences and subordination, not identity (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Articulated unity relates parts through differences and subordination, not identity #corroborates (0.90)
• Even deliberately inclusive identity spaces mute internal difference to achieve consensus #corroborates (0.84) — Neda Maghbouleh, The Limits of Whiteness, 517
• Identity axes of difference fail to align into a single opposition #corroborates (0.75)