Friday, 16 March 2018

Just because someone's ethnicity isn't 'white caucasian', it doesn't mean that they want to be an expert on race

The assumption that BAME academics will study race, or bring an element of racial politics, into their work is as pernicious as expecting women to focus on gender.

Both are lazy – but also prevalent. This week on the network we heard from Jennifer Chisholm, a black PhD student, who took us through her conflicting feelings about studying race. On the one hand, she felt empowered to know that white academics will automatically see her as an authority, on the other, she worried about pigeon-holing herself. The answer, she argued, is for universities to foster nurturing and supportive environments in which academics from all backgrounds can feel comfortable exploring their skills and interests.



Source: The Guardian, 14th March, 2018

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