IT IS ALLOWED TO PROHIBIT: “WOKE”, “DEI” AND THE ROPE OF METAPHOR.

The recent decline of affirmative action policies for higher education admissions in the US, both in the Supreme Court and in referendums, was preceded by a strong propaganda campaign linked to neoconservative groups. One aspect of these massive campaigns, which has made them permanent, is metaphorization. This article discusses this, particularly the cases of the terms "Woke" and "DEI." The methodology is a case study, based on documents and theoretical scrutiny. The result demonstrates the presence of inquisitional mechanisms in the process of demonizing public policies that guarantee equality, diversity, and inclusion, which operate to enforce upward redistribution within the current framework of political capitalism in the US.

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Publication Details

Published
2025-09-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/scielopreprints.13022
Primary Topic
Academic Freedom and Politics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

IT IS ALLOWED TO PROHIBIT: “WOKE”, “DEI” AND THE ROPE OF METAPHOR.

Sérgio José Custódio
Academic Freedom and Politics
article

IT IS ALLOWED TO PROHIBIT: “WOKE”, “DEI” AND THE ROPE OF METAPHOR.

Sérgio José Custódio
article en

Abstract

The recent decline of affirmative action policies for higher education admissions in the US, both in the Supreme Court and in referendums, was preceded by a strong propaganda campaign linked to neoconservative groups. One aspect of these massive campaigns, which has made them permanent, is metaphorization. This article discusses this, particularly the cases of the terms "Woke" and "DEI." The methodology is a case study, based on documents and theoretical scrutiny. The result demonstrates the presence of inquisitional mechanisms in the process of demonizing public policies that guarantee equality, diversity, and inclusion, which operate to enforce upward redistribution within the current framework of political capitalism in the US.

Universidade de São Paulo (BR)
Openalex Percentile: Top 73%
Academic Freedom and Politics
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