Slide 1 Missing narratives in discussions around DEI
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.16635424
Slide 2 - Focus on Action
We want to create inclusive communities in RSE by centring on intersectional perspectives and increase awareness of power imbalances in research.
Slide 3 - Focus on Action
We want to advocate for people from one or more marginalised groups and redefine merit.
Slide 4 - Why centre people from marginalised groups?
From the tweet: You didn't just erase a photo, you erased a continent. but I am stronger than ever.
Link to the tweet.
Slide 5 - Centering can show you the lack of opportunities
Once you centre, you can see the lack of opportunities and the potential that goes to waste.
Media reports have suggested the teenagers had been treated poorly for several years, with images surfacing of them being clothed in soiled nappies.
Link to the article.
Slide 6 - Intersectionality increases the difficulty
Intersectionality is belonging to more than one marginalised group. It means that you have more “areas” that can open you up for attack.
Slide 7 - Intersectionality increases the difficulty
Dior Vargas, 32, was diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety. Witnessing domestic violence and living in poverty severely impacted the way Vargas viewed herself from an early age, but she says, “School was the only escape.” After receiving treatment, Vargas continued to excel academically.
Link to the article.
Slide 8 - Lack of opportunities over time reduces employability
Slide 9 - Give people from marginalised groups more opportunities
The key is to give people from marginalised groups more opportunities to make up for the ones they have lost.
I think of this story a lot. Primarily because it didn’t require Ella to ask this of Marilyn. Marilyn seemed to understand her positional privilege and used it to create space for someone who should’ve already been there. There’s a lesson in allyship here that many seem to miss
Link to the tweet.
Slide 10 - This is why you have to redefine merit
Slide 11 - Give people from marginalised groups more opportunities
What's the matter? It's the same distance! I created a model to help visualise “degree of difficulty” based off this picture so that it can be taken into account when looking at “merit”. But the risk is that this will dehumanise and this needs to be kept in mind as we continue.
Link to the website in the drawing.
Slide 12 - All models are wrong but some are useful
All models are wrong but some are useful - George Box
1Box, G. E. P. (1979), "Robustness in the strategy of scientific model building", in Launer, R. L.; Wilkinson, G. N. (eds.), Robustness in Statistics, Academic Press, pp. 201–236, doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-438150-6.50018-2, ISBN 9781483263366.
Slide 13 - Intersectionality Spectrum
The categories along the x-axis left to right in increasing order are White with a y value of 1, Person of Colour (PoC) with a y of 2, White with mental health issues with a y of 2, PoC with disability with a y of 4, PoC with mental health issues from the Global South with a y of 27, PoC with a disability and with mental health issues with a y of 27.
This shows the more marginalised groups you belong to the more difficult your everyday life is compared to the other groups if everything else was similar. It is a general way of looking at intersectionality.
Slide 14 - Intersectionality Spectrum explained
Degree of Difficulty is 2 to the power of the number of marginalised groups a person belongs to. Use base 3 for anyone from a highly marginalised group, like First Nations people in Australia.
Slide 15 - Triaging using the Intersectionality Spectrum
Triaging to help those who need it most, similar to a hospital setting.
There is a single triangle on the left over the categories that have a small y value, a double triangle in the middle to show more help needed for categories that have a y value of 9, and three triangles to show the most help needed is for the values on the right that have a high y value of 27.
So the higher the Degree of Difficulty you have the earlier you should be helped and the more you should be helped, generally
Slide 16 - How can you help as an individual?
Slide 17 - What you can do as an individual continued
Centre people who are marginalised in your social media and use your privilege to give others opportunities.
Redefine merit by taking into account people's degree of difficulty and always look to "Help people to your right".
Slide 18 - How can you help as an organisation?
Slide 19 - What you can do as an organisation continued
Aim for a 50% target of people from marginalised groups on the selection committee, reviewing resumes and doing interviews.
Redefine merit by increasing the emphasis on ability and potential while de-emphasising experience, as experience can be correlated with opportunity, not ability.
Slide 20 - Find out more
This information is based on the following presentation: Mosbergen, Rowland (2021): Improving Diversity and Inclusion in Senior Leadership: A workshop to help recruit diverse senior leaders. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.14315846
Slide 21 - Questions for panelists and audience
How did someone center and advocate for intersectionally marginalised voices, and how did that make a positive impact?
When did someone redefine merit and how did that make a positive impact?