Dealing with that horse has helped me to understand my peers better
Of Equine-Assisted Interventions and Diversity and Including
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6058413 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Carolin Ossenkop (0000-0002-2139-9984, Radboud University Nijmegen, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 44 |
| Issue | 9 |
| Pages | 341-356 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-15 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Equal Opportunities International (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1758-7093 • E-ISSN: 2040-7149 |
| Publisher | Emerald (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1108/edi-01-2024-0040 |
| OpenAlex | W4415760013 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 21 |
Purpose This professional insight contribution introduces equine-assisted learning (EAL) to the field of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in organizations. As a form of experiential learning (Clark et al., 2024; Stock and Kolb, 2016), EAL answers the call for more practical rather than cognitive forms of EDI interventions in organizations by offering participants instant opportunities to experience and practice with old and new behavior (Bilginoglu, 2021; Meola, 2016). Relating participants' EAL experiences to theoretical EDI knowledge, this contribution provides the ground to initiate a conversation about considering EAL as an additional element to our current EDI work, both in theory and in practice. Design/methodology/approach Inspired by observations working as EAL facilitator and EDI scholar and practitioner, I analyzed fragments of participants' reflections based on EAL experiences using alterity as a sensitizing concept. As a means to create a space without judgment in which people can encounter each other free of normalized thoughts and structures, alterity as a concept enhances our understanding how to increase diversity and inclusion (Ghorashi and Sabelis, 2013; Janssens and Steyaert, 2001). Organized along the lines of the three conditions and three tactics theoretically qualifying alterity (Janssens and Steyaert, 2001), the analysis explores elements of EAL reflections in light of such conditions and tactics. Findings Illustrating congruencies between EAL and alterity, this contribution provides initial insights on how EAL may help to bring alterity into practice. Showing that EAL bears elements of alterity and relying on previous studies showing that EAL experiences translate well to other (work) environments, the findings of the analysis provide a first stepping stone to consider EAL as a means to help translate alterity into practice. As such, the findings also suggest that it may be worthwhile to further explore EAL in (organizational) EDI contexts. Originality/value Introducing EAL to the EDI context offers opportunities to challenge our view on our current EDI work, both in theory and practice. Further practicing and studying, while starting and continuing conversations on EAL or other forms of experiential learning, may provide new ways of supporting EDI in organizations
Alterity · Experiential learning · Facilitator · Psychological intervention · Adult and Continuing Education Topics · Innovative Education and Learning Practices · Management and Organizational Studies
Alternative diversity management
Crossroads Tempered Radicalism and the Politics of Ambivalence and Change
Antagonism, accommodation and agonism in Critical Management Studies
Extending critical performativity
Small wins
Putting diversity to work
Why Doesn't Diversity Training Work? The Challenge for Industry and Academia
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |