This paper examines essentialism as an educational and philosophical concept, addressing common misconceptions that associate it with conservatism or patriarchy. Drawing on feminist scholar Katariina Holma's defense of essentialist accounts of human nature in the context of gender equality, and Diana Fuss's definitional work, the paper distinguishes individual, group, and human-nature essentialism. It then connects these philosophical ideas to practical university ethics, specifically the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Principles for Professional Conduct, arguing that core professional values in career services reflect an essentialist commitment to fairness, objectivity, and responsible decision-making.
Essentialism, according to Merriam-Webster, is "an educational theory that ideas and skills basic to a culture should be taught to all alike by time-tested methods." As a philosophy, essentialism has taken some hits from progressives in the educational sphere and elsewhere in recent years. In fact, the definition offered by Merriam-Webster is, at first glance, a perfect example of why progressives and others reject essentialism. Some see it as the opposite of progressivism — but in fairness, that is a narrow viewpoint that calls for clarification and updating. A clearer, more broadly focused review of essentialism, as presented in this paper, should dispel the clouds of generalization and bias that the term has come to represent for some.
Indeed, essentialism, according to feminist author and theorist Diana Fuss, is most commonly understood as "the invariable and fixed properties which define the 'whatness' of a given entity." It is typically seen as a concept in opposition to "difference," Fuss continues. Essentialism is a complex system of "cultural, social, psychical and historical differences," but it is not a "set of pre-existent human essences," she reminds us. That said, it is also true that essentialism covers many fields of study.
Author Katariina Holma, writing in the Journal of Philosophy of Education (Holma 2007), explains that "at first sight" the concept of essentialism may seem to be something that a "dedicated feminist philosopher should oppose." This is because essentialism is frequently associated with "old-fashioned, conservative and even patriarchal thinking," Holma goes on. Moreover, feminist philosophy has resisted embracing essentialism because, in Holma's view, feminist authors tend to stumble over a "conceptual confusion" — simply because the philosophical justification for promoting gender equality in education contains within its parameters no "commitment to a particular version of essentialism." Feminists tend to turn away from ideas that appear to carry the marks of conservatism and narrowness.
But Holma insists that by referring to "an essentialist account of human nature" in the context of gender fairness in education, she means that there are some features "common to all human beings" that are fully independent of "individual, cultural and historical factors." Those features are "conducive to a good life and human flourishing." In her article, which is anchored around the notion of gender fairness but uses essentialism as a driver, she initially refutes the idea of essentialism as a "dirty word" in the academic community. She quotes from scholar Martha Nussbaum's Defense of Aristotelian Essentialism (1992, p. 205), who suggests that essentialism has been erroneously linked "by its opponents with an ignorance of history and with lack of sensitivity to the voices of women and minorities." Indeed, Nussbaum believes that essentialism is often wrongfully placed in the same category as "racism and sexism" and "patriarchal thinking" in general, while "subjectivism" is taken to be a "recipe for social progress" (Holma 47).
For context, ethical subjectivism holds that "moral judgments are fundamentally subjective" — entirely based on feelings about a given subject or event. Subjectivism understands that human nature is "entirely relative, situational and individual, and rejects the possibility of generalization," as Holma explains.
Holma posits that essentialism as it relates to human beings should be broken down into three categories. First, there is individual essentialism: each individual has his or her own "essence," and if allowed to realize that essence, the person will lead a good life. The second category — group essentialism — alludes to any classification by age, race, or gender. This is what Holma was alluding to in her introduction: essentialism by gender could, in some minds, suggest unfair treatment of women in education. The third category, essentialism regarding human nature, states that "there are some features of humanity that all human beings share"; these features, when cultivated, produce "a good human life."
According to essentialism as a broader philosophical tradition, these categories reflect centuries of debate about whether human identity is fixed or fluid, universal or culturally constructed — a debate that remains relevant to educational policy today.
There are principles in the life of universities where essentialism applies and has always been relevant; and those precepts revolve more around the concepts of justice, good behavior, competent management, and fairness than around conservatism. We speak here of the "Principles of Professional Conduct" (PPC) that most educational institutions present to employees — and sometimes students — regardless of their station or position within the educational community. The opening paragraph of the PPC for career services and employment professionals points out why career services and employment professionals are obliged to follow these principles.
The PPC establishes that employees are in a "partnership effort" with the "common goal of achieving the best match between the individual student" and the institution. Others involved include all faculty, staff, community members, students, and prospective students. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) developed the PPC for universities and colleges, with an eye toward helping students with career planning, placement, and recruitment. The NACE puts forward the following precepts:
One: maintaining "an open and free selection of employment opportunities" in a setting "conducive to objective thought"; personal objectives of students must be taken into account along with "all relevant facts." Two: the institution's staff must provide a "recruitment process that is fair and equitable" to candidates and to the companies and organizations that may be in a position to hire graduates. Three: the school must support "informed and responsible decision-making by candidates."
The list of ethical principles that career service professionals must follow to stay in good standing with NACE — and this is where essentialism comes in — has not changed and should be taught and followed with strict adherence to ethics and professional decorum. The NACE values are consistent across many, if not most, U.S. educational institutions, and that includes the prohibition on career service professionals imposing "personal values or biases." For example, consider a student business major thinking about going to work for Halliburton; an advisor who has been opposed to U.S. military involvement in Iraq advises the student about Dick Cheney's former role as CEO of Halliburton and the company's no-bid government contracts. Sharing such politically charged information crosses into the imposition of personal values.
Another example of an old-school approach to essentialism in the university setting would be a politically conservative professor who advises his social studies class that, regardless of their opinion of a sitting president or a particular war, "America always supports the president of the United States" — because that is how he was taught and how his parents were taught. This, too, imposes a personal ideological framework on students in a setting that should remain open and objective.
"Examples of ethical and unethical university behavior"
The list of ethical principles that career service professionals must follow to stay in good standing with NACE — and this is where essentialism comes in — has not changed and should be taught and followed with strict adherence to ethics and professional decorum. The NACE values are consistent across many, if not most, U.S. educational institutions, and that includes the prohibition on career service professionals imposing "personal values or biases." For example, consider a student business major thinking about going to work for Halliburton; an advisor who has been opposed to U.S. military involvement in Iraq advises the student about Dick Cheney's former role as CEO of Halliburton and the company's no-bid government contracts. Sharing such politically charged information crosses into the imposition of personal values.
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