Speaker
Description
There have long been concerns about the lack of diversity in physics, most notably around the under-representation of women, with numerous efforts to make physics a more inclusive discipline. I will present an overview of how far we have come in recent decades, and how the nature of the discourse has changed from trying to ‘fix’ the people in the minority groups, to asking more searching and challenging questions about the culture of physics and the behaviours that perpetuate it.
Drawing on my own research with CUWiP+ UK & Ireland (Conference for Undergraduate Women and Non-Binary Physicists) over the last 10 years, we will explore what we can learn from the experiences of these young people whilst studying physics, and their hopes and aspirations for careers in physics. By examining their experiences during an annual 3 day conference, we will reflect on what it means to co-construct an inclusive physics community. We will also study the experiences of those who organise these conferences and how these leaders too are changed by this work that is conducted alongside the rest of their roles. Finally, we will consider how the physics education research community might continue this drive to increase inclusion and diversity in physics amidst a swiftly changing and challenging political landscape.
| Education level | Outreach, Informal & Non-formal learning of physics |
|---|---|
| Physics topic | Other |
| Research focus | Students’ identity, inclusion and wellbeing |
| Research method | Mixed method (qualitative & quantitative) |
