Thesis

Exploring EDI leaders' perspectives on LGBTQIA+ programming and policy in Scottish Universities

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Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2026
Thesis identifier
  • T17604
Person Identifier (Local)
  • 201978826
Qualification Level
Qualification Name
Department, School or Faculty
Abstract
  • This thesis critically examines how Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) policies within Scottish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have evolved and been enacted since the introduction of the Equality Act 2010, with a particular focus on LGBTQIA+ inclusion. The core problem addressed is the persistent and systemic gap between policy ambition and lived inclusion, a disjuncture exacerbated by neoliberal institutional logics that prioritise measurable compliance and external reputation over substantive structural justice. Adopting a critical, qualitative approach, the study investigates this policy-enactment gap by integrating four analytical lenses derived from critical policy studies and queer theory: Interpretive Space, Material Supports, Instrument Mix, and Governance/Sabotage. Data were collected through the comparative analysis of pre- and post-Equality Act 2010 policies from four major Scottish universities and detailed semi-structured interviews with EDI leaders and policy advisors from these institutions and a National Education Staff Organisation (NESO). Findings reveal that while institutions have broadened symbolic visibility, or representation, of LGBTQIA+ identities, they consistently fail to deliver material inclusion through resource redistribution and embedded accountability. The enactment process is frequently undermined by inadequate funding and staffing (termed 'governance through scarcity'), resulting in performative policies that prioritise institutional image over structural justice. Moreover, the research identifies the high demands of emotional labour placed upon EDI practitioners as a precarious deficit of material support, sustaining inclusion work within resistant and under-resourced governance structures. The thesis argues that achieving meaningful LGBTQIA+ inclusivity requires systemic change beyond legal minimums and tokenism. It provides a framework for translating equality law into institutional practice, emphasising the need for clear accountability, dedicated material supports for intersectional training and resourcing, and a shift in leadership culture towards proactive structural commitment. This approach is essential to address the profound disjuncture between the Equality Act's legislative ambition and equitable outcomes in Scottish higher education.
Advisor / supervisor
  • Landi, Dillon
  • Kirk, David, 1958-
  • Zhang, Siqi
Resource Type
DOI
Date Created
  • 2024

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