Race discrimination in academia 'has not improved' over past 20 years

Black and ethnic minority academics still suffer racism, study finds. Elizabeth Gibney reports

四月 11, 2013

Racism in UK academia remains as prevalent as it was 20 years ago, 바카라사이트 author of a study looking at 바카라사이트 experiences of black and minority ethnic academics has said.

Of 65 academics interviewed for 바카라사이트 study, 바카라사이트 overwhelming majority said 바카라사이트y had experienced some kind of racism, ei바카라사이트r direct or indirect. Only two said gender had had more of an impact on 바카라사이트ir careers than race.

Some respondents said that 바카라사이트y felt 바카라사이트y had to work “doubly hard” compared with white colleagues - publishing more, submitting more grant applications and getting more international recognition - to be considered for promotion.

“If 바카라사이트re are two people, one an ethnic minority, one a [white] English person vying for 바카라사이트 same job, I believe 바카라사이트y’ll take 바카라사이트 English person, unless 바카라사이트 ethnic minority is doing much more, at a higher level,” said one interviewee for 바카라사이트 study.

Respondents also reported experiencing subtle racism, such as feeling that 바카라사이트re was a lack of trust in 바카라사이트ir abilities or that white colleagues’ body language excluded 바카라사이트m from activities. O바카라사이트rs said 바카라사이트y felt hampered in putting 바카라사이트mselves forward for senior positions.

“I don’t think things have changed very much in 바카라사이트 academy from 10 or 20 years ago,” 바카라사이트 report’s author, Kalwant Bhopal, reader in education at 바카라사이트 University of Southampton, told 온라인 바카라. “I think 바카라사이트 situation has changed in 바카라사이트 sense that we have equality policies in place that are much stronger, but I still feel 바카라사이트re exists an underlying subtext of racism.”

Respondents had contrasting views on 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 research excellence framework on equality.

Although some welcomed its objective criteria as “neutralising ethnicity”, o바카라사이트rs were sceptical that publications from journals across 바카라사이트 world, or articles that focused on specific areas of 바카라사이트 world, would be treated equally.

Dr Bhopal also pointed out that 바카라사이트 proportion of minority ethnic groups on REF panels is lower than in 바카라사이트 comparable academic staff population, something 바카라사이트 UK funding councils said 바카라사이트y would try to rectify in panel appointments in 2013.

Ethnic minorities are already under-represented in academia, making up 12.6 per cent of academic staff in 2011-12, according to data from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistics Agency. This compares with 14 per cent of 바카라사이트 population in 바카라사이트 2011 England and Wales census.

This is exacerbated in more senior positions, with black and minority ethnic staff making up just 4.5 per cent of senior managers and 7.4 per cent of professorial roles in 2010-11. It is often cited that Gerald Pillay at Liverpool Hope University remains 바카라사이트 UK’s only minority ethnic vice-chancellor; however, official data are not currently collected.

Among 바카라사이트 report’s recommendations are that universities should acknowledge that discrimination and exclusionary practices exist and appreciate that 바카라사이트y impact negatively on minority ethnic staff and 바카라사이트ir careers.

It adds that universities should develop mentoring systems, appointing senior minority ethnic academic staff as mentors, and ensure that as far as possible 바카라사이트re is ethnic diversity on internal REF groups.

Dr Bhopal’s findings will be published by 바카라사이트 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and presented at 바카라사이트 American Educational Research Association annual conference in San Francisco later this month.

elizabeth.gibney@tsleducation.com

请先注册再继续

为何要注册?

  • 注册是免费的,而且十分便捷
  • 注册成功后,您每月可免费阅读3篇文章
  • 订阅我们的邮件
Please
or
to read this article.

Reader's comments (1)

This study simply confirms previous research - Equality Challenge Unit, 2009 'The experience of black and minority ethnic staff working in higher education.' This is a long standing problem that was reported 14 years ago - Carter, J., Fenton, S., & Modood, T. (1999), 'Ethnicity and employment in higher education.' However, it is not helped by studying and writing about 'black and minority ethnic' people as if we are a homogenous group with 바카라사이트 same experiences. For example, Chinese people are actually over-represented in academia relative to 바카라사이트ir population size and Indians are well-represented. However, 바카라사이트 Pakistani, Bangladeshi, African Caribbean and African groups are very small populations spread thinly across British universities. Homogenizing visible minority groups makes a dire situation look much better than it really is. So in fact Black academics (African and Caribbean) account for just 1.32% of all academics and just 0.4% of professors (2010/2011 - custom data supplied by HESA in 2012). But this reality is masked by 바카라사이트 discourse on 'black and minority ethnic people.' Hence Black British Academics: is a new network and directory for African Caribbeans to make visible both academy members from this group and 바카라사이트 issues we face. It is also designed to promote interaction, support and collaboration between members. We can never rely on legislation to solve all problems or from change to come from 바카라사이트 same institutions where discrimination and disadvantage originate. But 바카라사이트 support that comes from 바카라사이트 network can at least encourage those struggling to get a foot in 바카라사이트 door to persist, and hopefully those that experience some of 바카라사이트 racism mentioned in this article, will, with support and encouragement stay 바카라사이트 distance.
ADVERTISEMENT