The multicontext path to redefining how we access and think about diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM

Abstract

Poor gender, ethnic, and racial diversity in the geosciences and most of STEM indicates that current approaches to facilitating inclusion and equity are not complete. The prevailing academic culture in the United States tends to value “low-context” approaches to learning, such as encouraging individuated work, adhering to strict time schedules, and subscription to compartmentalized and linear learning, among other values. Yet, many women and minority students come from “high-context” cultural backgrounds. They find communal work, flexibility in time, and nonlinear and contexted learning to be salient to their academic experience. In this article, we suggest that a shift in the academic culture is needed to further advance the inclusion of more women and underrepresented minorities, as well as many majority males who have tendencies toward high-context approaches to learning. Through the application of multicontext theory and context diversity concepts, we propose that academic culture can be broadened to value the full spectrum of context orientation, and academic communities like the geosciences can develop approaches and create environments that build on the different cultural strengths of all students. We posit that this strategy of academic culture change will grow the field and lead toward broader gender, ethnic, and racial diversity in academia.

Keywords:

• Diversity
• equity and inclusion
• context diversity
• multicontext theory
• STEM education

Acknowledgments

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. We appreciate thoughtful reviews from three anonymous reviewers and the associate editor. These helped us significantly improve the manuscript.

Notes

1 The term URMs is the plural form of URM (underrepresented minority), which is the preferred term to distinguish racialized groups that are underrepresented in education and employment relative to their population in the United States, as defined and used by federal research agencies such as the NSF as well as other diversity-oriented national organizations in STEM fields such as NACME (National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering). We use the term URM scholars to focus attention specifically on diversity issues of students in higher education STEM fields. These definitions do not include Asian American populations because, under the current diversity model, demographic data show that Asian American populations are overrepresented. However, we also use the term racialized URMs to indicate an inclusiveness of diversity that acknowledges that almost all of the ethnic “minority” populations in the United States, including Asian Americans, have been historically subjected to, and continue to be subjected to, discriminatory attitudes, behaviors, and practices by the majority populations in this nation.

Additional information

Funding

This material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1619524.