Introduction
In the past few years, women and people of color have made significant gains in their representation in the world of science. This is a good thing; however, it’s important to remember that there is still a long way to go before we reach full inclusion. What better way to celebrate this progress than by talking about what still needs to be done? In this post, I’ll explore some ways that we can all contribute our efforts towards making science more inclusive.
Making Science Inclusive
Making science more inclusive and diverse is a challenge that affects everyone, but it’s also one that we can all work together to solve.
Here are some ways you can help:
- Join your local science club (whether it’s a lab or a book club). Meeting with other people who share your interest in science will help you feel better about being interested in science, which helps make them feel better about themselves, too.
- Volunteer at local schools or community centers, especially if they have kids who need tutoring. Helping others learn will make you feel good about yourself, as well as give back to the community.
- Ask questions when someone makes an assumption based on their gender identity or race. This can be tricky because sometimes it’s hard for us all to figure out what someone else might be assuming just by looking at them; for example, if someone says “All men like sports,” maybe he does know one guy who loves watching football every Sunday, but doesn’t mean everyone should automatically think this way. But even if we don’t know whether someone has made an assumption based on their race/gender identity/etc., there are easy ways to intervene without making too much trouble: “I’m sorry—did I miss something? Were those comments directed at me?”
Why Is Science So Exclusive?
The first thing to realize is that science is not a level playing field: it’s a meritocracy, but there are all kinds of unearned advantages that help people get ahead.
In general, it’s very hard for underrepresented minorities to succeed in science. Whether you’re talking about African Americans or Latinos or Native Americans or women—there are all sorts of structural factors.
How to Become More Aware of Our Privilege
To begin with, be aware that you have privilege. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it means that you have an advantage over those who aren’t privileged in the same way. It’s important to recognize this so that you can approach diversity and inclusion efforts with the appropriate humility and respect for others’ experiences.
You should also listen to other people’s stories—otherwise known as talking or communicating. You might think that everyone has always been completely open with their life stories, but they haven’t; many people are hesitant to share themselves because they don’t feel comfortable sharing their experiences or perhaps don’t want others to judge them based on their own personal history. But by listening more often than speaking, we can change this dynamic and create a space where everyone feels safe sharing their stories without fear of judgment or repercussion from others around them (or even from within themselves).
When someone shares something about themselves or their experiences, don’t try to connect the dots yourself. Ask the person outright if there is anything else going on related specifically contributing factors like gender identity/expression or race/ethnicity before jumping into any conclusions about how it relates back directly toward them personally. This will help ensure mutual understanding between parties involved, without furthering stereotypes unnecessarily into conversations between two people who otherwise might not have had any reason whatsoever.
Inclusive and Diversity Should Be Top of Mind for Science Collaborations
Collaborative science is important for its ability to improve the lives of people all over the world. But it’s also indispensable because it helps scientists understand how different cultures think, and how they can collaborate effectively with each other. This can make us better at understanding each other, as well as improving international relations and reducing conflict.
Scientists are already working on this problem: they’re creating tools that help us communicate better across cultures and languages, such as machine translation software. This allows us to work together more easily when collaborating with people who speak different languages or who have different cultural backgrounds than our own.
Inclusive, diversity-minded science collaborations are the future.
What Can We Do Better: Inclusive and Diversity
What Can We Do to Improve the Situation?
Inclusivity and diversity doesn’t just mean making sure people of different races, genders or sexual orientations are included. It also means bringing in perspectives that are left out of the conversation, ensuring everyone is heard and feeling welcome to participate, helping others contribute their ideas and expertise.
What Does It Take to Make Change?
Making real change takes time and effort from all of us: from those who support inclusivity and diversity, who understand how important it is for science — for our future — to be as inclusive as possible; from those who have been excluded because of who they are; from those who have benefited from an environment where only some voices were heard; from those who want a better world for themselves but don’t know how this could happen at work (or outside). All of us have something valuable to offer society by working together toward mutual goals.
Inclusive and Diversity: Taking the Action Necessary to Make Everyone Included
The first step to being more inclusive is recognizing that you have privilege. If you’re a white male, or even an upper class white woman (or anyone who isn’t disabled), it’s likely that others in your life are not as fortunate and have experienced much more difficulty than you do. You must be aware of this fact and take steps to ensure everyone feels welcomed and included.
The next step is learning how to communicate with people from all backgrounds. Communication is about respecting the people around you and showing your awareness of their circumstances. That’s why it’s important to be mindful of language usage, recognize when someone is uncomfortable with certain words or phrases, and change them accordingly.
For example: if a colleague uses the term “lame” when talking about their foot injury. It’s OK for them to use this word, but maybe not for another person who has had multiple surgeries on their knees due out of fear that they might offend someone else who has had similar injuries without needing surgery. And therefore feels differently about those surgeries. By being aware of these differences, we can better understand our place in society, so we can help those around us feel comfortable enough to share their stories too.
Conclusion
We should not be afraid of being inclusive and Diversity. We should embrace it, and through that we can make science more diverse and inclusive.