Is There a Space for Diversity in the Italian Welfare System? The Case of DEI in Organ Donation and Transplantation and Minority Communities

The contribution incorporates at least three different perspectives: one of intercultural communication and diversity studies, one of sociological studies, and one of public health communication and healthcare policy. The chapter addresses the issue of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the Italian context, focusing on some stakeholders of the Welfare system. We first provide a general overview of how DEI is framed and where and how it is prioritized in social and healthcare areas, showing that more emphasis is given to Inclusion and Equity rather than Diversity itself. We then take a specific study as exemplary of the intersection of variables to be taken into account when tackling the prevention of diversity-related inequities from a public health perspective. We conclude that this perspective mirrors some mistakes of the general society when approaching DEI by overly fragmenting interventions. The complexity of the phenomenon needs to be addressed systemically through participatory approaches as well as through legislation and management interventions considering not only diversity competence but also diversity responsiveness, with the goal of making DEI a circular process that authentically recognizes the value of diversity, the necessity of inclusion, and the moral duty of equity.