RECOGNIZING THE CULTURE OF GEOLOGY AS A PRIMARY BARRIER TO INCLUSION

The demography of the United States is rapidly changing and the demographic trajectory of the nation shows an increasingly diverse populace. Approximately 48% of Americans presently self-identify as minorities. By 2050, no single racial or ethnic group will hold majority status (i.e. >50%) among the U.S. populace. The diversification of the U.S. population will create a population where the majority of persons will identify as members of categorized minorities in just one more decade. In contrast, the demography of the national geosciences workforce lags far behind the observed demography of Americans. Annually, the proportion of minorities in the U.S. population increases 1.75-times faster than the proportion of minorities employed in geosciences. Only 17% of people employed in the geosciences workforce self-identify as minorities, resulting in a 30% ‘diversity gap’ compared to their proportions in the U.S. population (48%). The geosciences diversity gap is profound in its magnitude, persistent in its duration, and pernicious in its limiting effects on advancement of the discipline at a time when its insights are most needed by humanity. The lack of significant progress broadening participation in geology over decades suggests barriers to entry that are foundational, systemic, and institutionalized across the geology discipline. That is to say the ‘Culture of Geology’ is the primary limitation to a more inclusive national geosciences workforce and is largely responsible for the ever-widening diversity gap in the discipline. This presentation calls on GSA-associated societies to convene a national summit to establish a unified ‘Culture of Inclusion’ for geology.