A typology of social equity discourses and its contribution to a wicked problem

Abstract

In Volume 23, Issue 1, Larsen and Emmett (2021) briefly outline the Australian political context before presenting a summary of four social equity discourses that can be seen in the literature and policy. They argue that debates surrounding these discourses are unproductive and contribute to social equity as a wicked problem in higher education. This article builds on these findings by naming the four discourses as a typology and suggests how a typology is beneficial to multiple stakeholders. This article further develops this argument by presenting evidence that social equity is indeed a wicked problem for which the typology is a small step towards solving it. Whilst this article specifically focuses on higher education in the Australian context, the ideas presented can readily be applied to higher education internationally.