Recognizing and addressing environmental microaggressions, know-your-place aggression, peer mediocrity, and
Kit Neikirk1, Sophielle Silvers2, Vijayvardhan Kamalumpundi3
1Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States.
Frontiers in Education
|February 23, 2024
Summary
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are vital for STEMM fields. This article examines challenges like microaggressions and peer mediocrity impacting Black individuals in STEMM and offers solutions.
Area of Science:
- Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM)
Background:
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are crucial for scientific advancement.
- Black individuals in STEMM face unique challenges.
- Key issues include know-your-place aggression, environmental microaggressions, peer mediocrity, and code-switching.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine specific challenges faced by Black individuals in STEMM.
- To provide a background and statistics on these issues.
- To offer solutions for recognizing and addressing these problems.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and synthesis of existing research.
- Analysis of statistics related to DEI in STEMM.
- Identification and discussion of key challenges.
Main Results:
- Know-your-place aggression, environmental microaggressions, peer mediocrity, and code-switching negatively impact Black professionals in STEMM.
- These issues are supported by available statistics and research.
- Solutions are proposed to mitigate these challenges.
Conclusions:
- Addressing these specific issues is essential for improving DEI in STEMM.
- The proposed solutions can foster a more inclusive environment for Black individuals.
- These strategies can be adapted for other underrepresented groups in STEMM.
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