Equity, Diversity, and the Academy: An Analysis of Inclusion in Faculty and Curricula at Canadian Geography Departments
Topics: Ethnicity and Race
, Women
, Education
Keywords: Ethnicity and Gender, Equity and Diversity, Post-Secondary Institutions, Curriculum Development, Canadian Geography
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Sunday
Session Start / End Time: 2/27/2022 08:00 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/27/2022 09:20 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 50
Authors:
Shervin Ghaem-Maghami, University of Toronto Mississauga
Vincent Kuuire, University of Toronto Mississauga
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Abstract
While geographers have spent decades exploring how matters of inequality and injustice can be addressed through a critical approach that integrates the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), incorporating this standard into the systems and processes of academia within the discipline of geography remains at a much earlier stage of development. This is reflected in the lack of data available on both the ethnic and gender composition of faculty in geography departments in post-secondary institutions and on whether and how EDI-related themes are being treated in geography curricula. By analyzing the data from 2010 to 2020 for approximately 650 geography faculty working at Canadian universities in terms of ethnic minority status, gender, and other relevant indicators, this research argues that while there has been an increase in the percentage of ethnic minority and/or female geography faculty over this period, minorities and women remain significantly under-represented in the academy. This is complemented by a multi-pronged assessment of approximately 250 syllabi for undergraduate and graduate geography courses offered by selected Canadian geography departments as it relates to themes including multiculturalism, decolonization, and EDI. The findings point to a correlation between increased diversity in faculty and higher EDI scores in the curricula. Recommendations are offered for how geography department faculty hiring practices and geography-course syllabi can better integrate EDI standards in order to create academic environments in which future generations of geographers can be exposed to, learn, and carry forward these principles into research and practice.
Equity, Diversity, and the Academy: An Analysis of Inclusion in Faculty and Curricula at Canadian Geography Departments
Category
Virtual Paper Abstract
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