Chapter 8: From “Civilized” to “Professional”: A Critique of Accounting Education and the Business Case for Diversity

Roughly four months after a five-year trek through an accounting program, having successfully passed all four sections of the CPA exam, I began my career as an assurance associate at a Big 4 firm. Externally, I was a properly attired white male—crisp shirt, fancy tie, shiny shoes. Internally, my mind was conformed to the mold of the profession. It would not be unreasonable to say that I was mulish; such was the depth of my belief in the virtues of shareholder capitalism, the meritocratic nature of American society, and the purity of the profession's place within it. These convictions had ossified in my mind, rendering it impervious to intellectual challenges and soothing away the discomfort that comes with doubt.