2.38: Physics
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- Susan Rahman, Prateek Sunder, and Dahmitra Jackson
- CC ECHO
Physics is the science of matter and how matter interacts. Matter is any physical material in the universe. Everything is made of matter.Physicsis used to describe the physical universe around us, and to predict how it will behave. This epistemology has been seen as the science that sees the world so accurately and in such great detail. This reputation has been unchallenged and in fact has contributed to the limited scope and lack of diversity in the field.
“White empiricism is the practice of allowing social discourse to insert itself into empirical reasoning about physics, and it actively harms the development of comprehensive understandings of the natural world by precluding putting provincial European ideas about science, which have become dominant through colonial force into conversation with ideas that are more strongly associated with “indegneity,” whether it is African indigeneity or another” (Prescod-Weinstein, 2019).
As in other disciplines, a lack of diverse thought and representation limits the contributions in the field to what is seen as the right way to do physics. A recent statement by Dartmouth University admits complacency in their practices over the years in regard to supporting students of color. They issued a statement addressing this and announced its support of the Black Lives Matter Movement. Dartmouth is committing themselves to concrete actions in a 6 part plan that includes making the department of physics more welcoming to students of color by highlighting work in the field by Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC), and revisiting biased admission exams that women and students of color historically do poor on, thus putting them at a disadvantage to their white male peers. This statement was influenced by the American Institute of Physics TEAM-UP report (Dartmouth Department of Physics and Astronomy, 2020).
The American Institute of Physics TEAM-UP report is a report regarding the status of racism in Physics with an eye to increase the number of African American students pursuing degrees in Physics. The team conducted site visits at 5 U.S. colleges, one Historically Black Colleges and Universities, (Morev house), two Predominantly Black Institutions (Chicago State and Georgia State), and two Predominantly White Institutions (University of Maryland and Henderson State University) and made recommendations (TEAM UP, 2020). The team was made up of social scientists,astronomers and physicists called TEAM-UP. The inclusion of social scientists was because “TEAM-UP members firmly believe that scientists cannot solve the problem of African American underrepresentation using methods common to physics and astronomy; new thinking and new language are needed. TEAM-UP identified five factors responsible for the success or failure of African American students in physics and astronomy: Belonging, Physics Identity, Academic Support, Personal Support, and Leadership and Structures” (TEAM UP, 2020). African American students are as capable as any other students,but these identified barriers are what the research, based on student interviews, 5 site visits,and department head interviews found. These barriers have a strong correlation to the lack of diversity and representation in the field, and addressing and removing these barriers is crucial for future improvement. Fostering inclusion and belonging is an important piece to recruiting more students but this will require a shift in faculty mindset.
Students need to see themselves as physicists, and can do so by participating in research and conferences and through faculty recognition, so mentoring, access to opportunity,and support from faculty and institutions is important. Schools need to hire more Black faculty and diversify STEM departments overall. Beyond diversifying faculty, students do better with caring faculty of any race/gender who can guide students to all types of support services they need so a focus on this type of faculty skill building is also in order. For students who are having financial problems, there should be resources for them to get aid whether it be cash,food, housing, etc. TEAM UP’s report provides detailed recommendations to the problems outlined and is centered around a theory of change using sense making and shared leadership in this process (TEAM UP, 2020).