Performing equity, containing change: legitimation of DEI discourse in Canadian universities

This article examines how diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) discourse in Canadian universities operates as a mode of symbolic governance rather than a straightforward pathway to structural transformation. Drawing on critical discourse analysis and van Leeuwen’s framework for legitimation, the examination considers a variety of DEI-aligned institutional texts from Canada’s nine top-ranked universities. The analysis identifies three recurrent tendencies in this discourse: aspirational language that affirms institutional commitment while remaining vague about material change – consistent with Ahmed’s account of the non-performative speech act; discursive convergence shaped by sector-wide isomorphic pressures; and legitimation strategies that render DEI claims morally compelling while narrowing the discursive space for critique. Positioned within audit culture and contemporary governance logics, the analysis clarifies how DEI language manages reputational risk and stabilizes institutional legitimacy. The article contributes to critical scholarship on educational discourse by showing how institutional language organises the conditions under which equity can be named, enacted, and/or constrained.