Diversity in Physics!
Workshop for the SPS Zone 3/SEPA AAPT
Meeting !
!
Michelle Dolinski!
Drexel University!
Part I: What’s the problem?!
Demographics!
These differences CANNOT be explained by differences in ability, or even variance in ability! Stereotype threat!
•  If tasks are framed in terms of ac?ve stereotypes, par?cipants are likely to perform worse on the task. •  By framing tasks so that stereotype threat is neutralized, performance differences disappear. Stereotype threat!
Implicit bias!
Implicit bias (as opposed to explicit bias) in not conscious, but rather emerges
from the influence of your culture and society over a lifetime. You may not even
be aware of your implicit biases!!
Implicit bias!
Implicit bias leads to negative effects. Recent studies have shown implicit
gender bias among university science faculty.!
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2012/09/14/1211286109#aff-1 !
Implicit Association Test (IAT) - The IAT measures the strength of associations
between concepts (e.g., black people, gay people) and evaluations (e.g., good, bad) or
stereotypes (e.g., athletic, clumsy). The main idea is that making a response is easier
when closely related items share the same response key.!
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/!
!
•  “Results from this website consistently show that members of stigmatized groups
(Black people, gay people, older people) tend to have more positive implicit attitudes
toward their groups than do people who are not in the group, but that there is still a
moderate preference for the more socially valued group.”!
•  “Research shows that implicit preferences are quite malleable so it is possible to
manage and change them if you want to.” !
Part II: Group exercise and
discussion!
Exercise!
•  Get into groups of 3-5.!
•  Spend a few minutes coming up with a
scenario. !
•  Have two members of the group role play the
encounter. Other group members will be
observers.!
•  Discuss with the entire group.!
•  If time permits, exchange roles and replay the
scenario.!
Part III: Strategies and
resources!
So what do we do about it?!
On the individual level!
•  Be aware of bias! Understanding implicit bias and recognizing it in
ourselves can help to counteract the effect.!
•  Network, and help others build networks. !
–
–
–
–
Have high expectations for yourself and others!!
Good introductions set physicists up for success.!
Write conscientious letters of recommendation.!
Find a mentor, be a mentor!!
•  Be visible and make sure your voice is heard!!
!
On the institutional level!
•  Train faculty and other officials on recognizing and countering implicit
bias. !
•  Improve practices.!
–  Broad, inclusive searches for students and job applicants.!
–  Double blind review for publications and grant proposals.!
•  Acknowledge that diversity leads to better science!!
And remember, we’re making
progress…!
Resources!
•  Further reading on women in science.!
–  Nature special issue on women in science
http://www.nature.com/news/women-in-science-women-s-work-1.12547 !
–  “Science faculty’s subtle gender biases favor male students” (2013)
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2012/09/14/1211286109#aff-1 !
–  “Does gender matter?” (2006)
http://www.nature.com/scitable/content/does-gender-matter-by-ben-abarres-10602856 !
–  The UC Berkeley Society of Women in the Physical Sciences collected these
links and lots more (http://swps.berkeley.edu/links.html)!!
•  Test your own implicit bias (https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/)!
•  Join a professional organization.!
  Local SPS or AAPT!
–  The American Physical Society (http://www.aps.org/), including programs for
women (http://www.aps.org/programs/women/index.cfm) and minorities
(http://www.aps.org/programs/minorities/index.cfm). !
•  Get a mentor or mentor someone else. Or both!!
–  MentorNet offers free email-based mentoring to undergraduate and
graduate students (http://www.mentornet.net/).!