At the start of this unit I naively thought that I was playing my role to the best of my ability – creating a safe, enjoyable and inclusive environment for my students (for a greater context of my role see term one, post one). However, this unit has given me the opportunity to reflect and examine my area in greater detail. I realise that my primary focus on the students directly in front of me may have limited my broader impact. As part of the unit I have taken time to look into data that the university shares internally and has led me to question why I get the students I do? What attracts them to my area intersecting, design, technology and engineering, but more importantly what pushes people away?
This field is notoriously known for its lack of representation, especially by sex, with men predominantly occupying workforce and research positions (Henry and Munn, 2020; Hill and Corbett, 2015; Johnson and Miller, 2002). Although some company objectives aim to improve this, I found limited research on race, religion, sexuality, and disability, raising questions about the compounded effects of intersectionality (Columbia Law School, 2017).
I aim to use my influence to demonstrate that everyone deserves a seat at the table, not just those traditionally represented. This medium of work can uncover and display the difficulties different intersectionalities impose on daily life. To achieve this, I will:
Revamp Learning Resources:
- Revise in-person workshops and online resources to showcase diverse work that meets the needs of its creators.
- Include examples of projects and role models from various backgrounds to inspire students.
- Attempt to connect with international design agencies, education groups, and collectives to discover great examples of work that may be both inspirational and relevant to our diverse student body, showcasing innovative approaches and success stories from underrepresented communities.
I understand that this will in no way solve systemic discrimination within the field of tech or even create opportunities (Buse, Hill and Benson, 2017), but I hope that it will at least support students to ask the question: Why not me?
Bibliography
Buse, K., Hill, C. and Benson, K. (2017) ‘Establishing the Research Agenda for Increasing the Representation of Women in Engineering and Computing’, Front. Psychol., 8. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00598.
Columbia Law School (2017) Kimberlé Crenshaw On Intersectionality, More Than Two Decades Later, Columbia Law School. Available at: https://www.law.columbia.edu/news/archive/kimberle-crenshaw-intersectionality-more-two-decades-later (Accessed: 24 May 2024).
Henry, E. and Munn, B. (2020) ‘Girls in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math: From Camps to Careers’, JOE, 58(2). doi: 10.34068/joe.58.02.09.
Hill, C. and Corbett, C. (2015) Solving the Equation | The Variables for Women’s Success in Engineering and Computing. Washington: AAUW.
Johnson, D. G. and Miller, K. W. (2002) ‘Is diversity in computing a moral matter?’, SIGCSE Bull., 34(2), pp. 9–10. doi: 10.1145/543812.543814.