WHEN BARRIERS COLLIDE

The Pardee symposium, “Women Rising: Removing Barriers and Achieving Parity in the Geosciences,” has its origins in the GSA position paper, “Removing Barriers to Career Progression for Women in the Geosciences” (Adopted May 2018). A goal of that document, and therefore also of this symposium and the associated activities, is addressing the “need for a change in professional culture so that all people are welcomed, supported, and thrive in the geoscience profession” (GSA 2018).

Data gathering on the STEM workforce identifies numerical imbalances between the demographic distributions of some groups in STEM and their presence in U.S. society. This relationship is sometime described using the concept of “parity,” the state or condition of being equal (or unequal). Parity is used as a socioeconomic index to measure or compare the relative presence of identified groups in overall society as different from their presence in a subset of society, such as the STEM workforce, or STEM education.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) helped to articulate many questions on demographic distribution of some underrepresented groups (URG) within the STEM workforce in 1975. The AAAS Office of Opportunities in Science (OOS) held a workshop aligned with the AAAS annual meeting. The resulting proceedings: “The Double Bind: The Price of Being a Minority Woman in Science,” (Malcom, Hall, Brown, 1976) disseminated issues and ideas on practices and questions on data gathering that moved communities to more proactive approaches.

Determining demographic gaps should utilize objective, documented approaches. Ideally the effort goes beyond numbers to also embrace establishing a culturally inclusive workplace environment. What is the impact of multiple barriers on an individual or group? Considering methods such as those explored in culturally responsive evaluation practices, for example, may be useful.

There is a good deal of research available to support improved understanding of the barriers and their (damaging) impact on individuals and organizations, as well as processes and resources to support strategic correction. It is also important to maintain ongoing learning to ensure retention of the beneficial practices. Sharing discussion and exploration are important elements in achieving the desired outcomes.