Discrimination and Fostering Inclusivity in Academia

Science may be considered a beacon of inclusivity and anti-racist rhetoric today, but its history of discrimination and underrepresentation says otherwise. It doesn’t take too much pondering to understand how problematic Western academia has been regarding diversity, making it essential to investigate its history and the current climate in terms of inclusivity. Despite an increase in diversity on the university campus in recent decades, one area that still seems to be riddled with underrepresentation within the various fields of academia and research is leadership.

Historically speaking, discourse within Western academia and science has been void of non-White voices for centuries. This was not done out of a whim, but instead planned according to pseudoscience and the concept of validated “scientific racism.” This term has its roots in the foundation of science within the West in the 16th century (Skibba, 2019). Similar in nature to the Galtonian eugenics movement, Western science suffered from scientific racism一the idea that intelligence is tied to race, gender, and being able-bodied. This pseudoscience enforced the inclusion of White males within science一many of whom are considered pioneers and are praised for their discoveries in our institutions and textbooks一and the exclusion of anyone different. Although these ideas of “scientific racism” were rejected and eradicated after the fall of Nazi Germany and the aftermath of World War II, the systems they birthed continue to influence science, research, and academia today (Rivard & Bouche, 2014). These past constructs continue to create walls and restrict access to untapped and underrepresented minds.

To understand how to unravel the effects of “scientific racism,” we must also delve into the social climate of the many minorities and underrepresented groups. A sociological study posted in the journal American Sociological Review showcases the unfortunate tale of the times. The survey conducted by Chmielewski (2019) investigated the socioeconomic achievement gap from 1964 to 2015 in 109 countries with data on 5.8 million students. Unfortunately, contrary to how we believe society is moving, Chmielewski (2019) showcased that gaps in academic achievement are more extensive than before and are growing in proportion to our population. Both developing and settled countries are suffering from a disparity in academic achievement. Historically speaking, the state of educational attainment in marginalized communities is similar to how post-civil war Black Americans were barred from mortgages and loans. This prevented Black Americans of the time from acquiring generational wealth, similarly to how minorities and underrepresented voices have hurdles to education and educational attainment. Over generations, this has added up, and leadership within academia has been dominated by resource-rich researchers. According to Odekunle (2020), this is, quite literally, limiting diversity in positions of power within academia, because people of diverse backgrounds don’t see themselves represented and count themselves out.

In her paper titled, “To See a Face Like Mine,” published in the journal Cell, Odekunle highlights the struggles of being a Black woman in science and the underrepresentation of minority voices within academia. While doing this, she also offers steps that can be taken to negate discrimination and foster inclusivity within academia. Firstly, she states that researchers and educators alike must expose themselves to the history of science. Not just the works of scientists and their findings, but rather the social climates of the time and how they influenced whom, what, and how they studied. Secondly, she states that a scientist should represent more than findings and data. In conjunction with their research output, a scientist’s legacy should be in their qualities, such as integrity, transparency, respectfulness, and a commitment to equality. Lastly, she states that nobody should be exempt from scrutiny, no matter their stature or achievements. For equality to be fostered within academia, those in varying roles of power within academia should be removed if they promote harmful and divisive views and behaviours. Non-action on this topic will result in the same structures being promoted that have been for centuries.

It has become crucial that we investigate all parts of society, as academia is not exempt from being flawed despite it being an anti-discriminatory force. It is vital that we, as promoters and consumers of objective research, on all levels, find and eradicate all forms of discrimination and actively incorporate historically underrepresented voices. We must “actively use privilege to dismantle privilege” (Grant, 2020) and must undo the structural inequalities of discrimination, not any identity itself.