Equity in Science: Representation, Culture, and the Dynamics of Change in Graduate Education

by Julie Posselt

STEM disciplines are believed to be founded on the idea of meritocracy; recognition earned by the value of the data, which is objective. Such disciplinary cultures resist concerns about implicit or structural biases, and yet, year after year, scientists observe persistent gender and racial inequalities in their labs, departments, and programs. In Equity in Science, Julie Posselt makes the case that understanding how field-specific cultures develop is a crucial step for bringing about real change. She does this by examining existing equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts across astronomy, physics, chemistry, geology, and psychology. These ethnographic case studies reveal the subtle ways that exclusion and power operate in scientific organizations and, sometimes, within change efforts themselves. Posselt argues that accelerating the movement for inclusion in science requires more effective collaboration across boundaries that typically separate people and scholars--across the social and natural sciences, across the faculty-student-administrator roles, and across race, gender, and other social identities. Ultimately this book is a call for academia to place equal value on expertise, and on those who do the work of cultural translation. Posselt closes with targeted recommendations for individuals, departments, and disciplinary societies for creating systemic, sustainable change.

Genres: Education, LGBT, Professional Development, Science, Nonfiction, Feminism

272 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2020

About the author

Dr. Julie Posselt is an Associate Professor of higher education in the USC Rossier School of Education and was a 2015-2017 National Academy of Education/ Spencer Foundation postdoctoral research fellow. Rooted in sociological and organizational theory, her research program uses mixed methods to examine institutionalized inequalities in higher education and organizational efforts aimed at reducing inequities and encouraging diversity. She focuses on selective sectors of higher education— graduate education, STEM fields, and elite undergraduate institutions—where longstanding practices and cultural norms are being negotiated to better identify talent and educate students in a changing society. She was the recipient of the 2018 American Educational Research Association’s Early Career Award and the 2017 Association for the Study of Higher Education’s Early Career/ Promising Scholar Award.

Her book, Inside Graduate Admissions: Merit, Diversity, and Faculty Gatekeeping (2016, Harvard University Press), was based on an award-winning ethnographic study of faculty judgment in 10 highly ranked doctoral programs in three universities. This work has led to thriving research-practice partnerships with universities, disciplinary societies, graduate schools & programs, and other associations that are re-examining how we evaluate students and scholars for key academic opportunities— and support those who are in the system. Partners include the University of California, American Physics Society, and the Council of Graduate Schools.

Her current scholarship, funded by three grants from the National Science Foundation and one from the Mellon Foundation, examines movements for equity and inclusion in graduate education and the humanistic and physical science disciplines. Posselt recently completed a National Academy of Education postdoctoral fellowship for the first national study of graduate student mental health. This concurrent mixed methods project identified factors associated with depression and anxiety; investigated the roles of discrimination, competitiveness, and faculty support in graduate student wellbeing; and measures disparities within and across academic disciplines.

She has published research in the American Educational Research Journal, Annual Review of Sociology, Research in Higher Education, Journal of Higher Education, Teachers College Record, Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research, and the Chronicle of Higher Education, among others. Her work has been highlighted in Science, The Atlantic, New York Times, Slate, Times Higher Education (UK), Insider Higher Ed, among others. She is a member of the Journal of Higher Education’s and Journal of Diversity in Higher Education's editorial review boards, and is program chair for the 2019 Sociology of Education Association meeting.

Posselt earned her PhD from the University of Michigan.

Reviews

[Layne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an essential read for any individual interested in equity and inclusion. Posselt's research leverages a mixed-methods approach to demonstrate why representation and number-based metrics will not shift the needle, but also a keen practical guide to implementing the work in phases. Posselt provides introductory chapters that showcase theories, and her compelling style of writing draws concepts, quotes, and examples from all disciplines. The theory does not feel static or challenging to understand, as Posselt uses scenarios and draws from cases that feel familiar (sometimes all-too-familiar) to many who work in higher education or those who have been on the receiving end of bias.

For me, reading evidence-based practices that can impart change on my own life and workplace felt incredibly valuable. Some of the work felt lifted from my lived experience, and my hope is that those who have the power to make change and those who strive to make the world more equitable will take up the recommendations laid out in this book. I know I will.

Disclaimer: I've done work with Posselt. I care deeply about these issues. I am very biased in favor of her work.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a current grad student in STEM, I find Julie Posselt's general sense of how bias in STEM manifests to be quite consistent with what I've observed at my institution. She has a nuanced and deep understanding of the issues that she writes about. More than just pointing out problems, though, she goes into institutions that are measurably increasing equity in graduate education and investigates the factors that contribute to their successes. While there is some redundancy between the case studies that she presents, overall this book clearly and eloquently lays out the institutional factors that make change challenging, but also offers some very practical and concrete examples of how to push for reform. If anything, the redundancy underlines some common factors that seem to contribute to success across different institutions. This book not only made me hopeful that diversity / equity projects in science can succeed, it delineated clear and pragmatic ways that they can be implemented in a real-world scenario.

[Ricardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Posselt introduces a unique point of view about the DEI triad. As mentioned in the book's title, she advocates for equity as a necessary element to enable the successful advancement of diversity and inclusion programs in grad school and higher education institutions at large. The book offers a view of the researcher intertwined with personal accounts that humanize the narrative, making the reading interesting and fluid.

[JJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important book on equity in science, and I learned a lot. It does get repetitive and was too long, in my opinion. How many time does one have to read that depts have stopped using GRE scores? I also found it dense, with words like "mimetric isomorphism" used. Still I rate it 4 stars due to the plethora of examples and stories used - which are very useful.

[Aiym · Rating 1 out of 5]

if only the author didn’t print and sell the first rough draft of her manuscript… there are many errata and the same ideas are munched over and over and over AND OVER again. this topic deserves so more attention and care than this poorly organised book gave it. i’m giving it 1.5 ⭐️ just because the last chapter wasn’t too horrible.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Posselt does a great job making equity feel relatable and important to the science community by breaking down barriers between social and natural sciences.

One of my favorite parts was her comparison of equity work to quantum theory. She explains how creating equity is a complex, connected process where even small actions can lead to bigger changes. It’s a reminder that progress isn’t always straightforward, but every effort counts.

The book was at times redundant, and towards the end, I practically rolled my eyes anytime she mentioned the GRE. Overall, I think it’s worth the read. This is a thoughtful and inspiring read for anyone interested in making their workplace or community more inclusive.