My academic discipline has struggled with how to navigate calls for #equity, #diversity, & #inclusion.
I have read misguided research that seeks to help one group while stigmatizing another. I have seen calls to not discriminate against one group in order to help another. I have heard some suggest that there really isn’t a problem, arguing that if you look at the global level, gender & discrimination issues don't appear in the same way in all countries.
After listening & participating in conversations on diversity & inclusion, I wonder if the issue might not be that some really smart people are not educated on issues like hiring, building inclusive communities or supporting equitable access for historically disadvantaged communities.
The keys to change are threefold.
First, privileged groups in academic communities need to acknowledge that they have benefitted from their structural power.
Privilege can be defined in many ways, including gender, race, location, & academic pedigree.
Many, if not all, academics have some privilege.
Second, all groups must understand that the call for change is about access for anyone that wants to, & is capable of, participating in the academic community.
Access here suggests that people who are capable have an opportunity to participate. It does not mean giving a handout to less capable.
Third, academics need to address structural bottlenecks to participation, such as hiring processes, poorly constructed merit measures, & assumptions that capability to contribute manifests in the same way for everyone.
Capability here could be excellence in teaching or research or outreach. Today, academe mostly values research. Acknowledging more capabilities define success would help offer access commensurate with more people's capabilities.
If we share this understanding, it’s easier to fight sexism, racism, & colonialism in academic culture & its impact on student admissions as well as faculty hiring and promotion.
What is notable is that solutions are known, often misunderstood, & rarely embedded in academic hiring processes.
What is also notable is that absent mindful implementation, these solutions can lead to tokenism, discrimination & worse.
Industry knows it & is taking action - Leora Eisenstadt notes in her editorial that these remedies are challenging to implement & require leadership.
In many disciplines, we have seen efforts to lead by journals such as MIS Quarterly.
But more is needed. If we are to change academe, we need our discipline's leaders to take clear & consistent action.
So look at your professional association & its leaders?
And ask, are they providing the leadership? needed to educate your community? On how to build a diverse and equitable community?
And if they aren't, demand that they do.
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