4 Workshop 4 – Social Justice & EDI
Faith Miller-Koren; Yasamin Jahani Kia; and John Donald
INTRODUCTION
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity (EDI) are very important topics that have become increasingly talked about, especially in traditionally male-dominated fields such as Engineering. Understanding the principles behind EDI, along with how to promote it via Social Justice, is essential for creating a more fair and accepting environment in not just the field of Engineering, but throughout all of society.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
The topics of EDI and Social Justice occur in the Societal Leadership domain of Leadership. By the end of this workshop, you should be able to define the terms “Equity”, “Diversity”, and “Inclusivity”. You should also be able to describe microaggressions, and be aware of techniques you can employ to manage them and avoid doing them yourself. Finally, by understanding the meaning of Social Justice in an engineering context, you should be able to identify the principles of social justice in engineering projects, and in your own life.
WHAT IS EDI?
EDI stands for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity. Together, they strive to drive us towards a more socially-just world by giving everyone fair access to opportunities.
Equity
| Definition | Example | Approach |
| Fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all people. | Women-friendly policies in the workplace, such as providing extended maternity leave to employees, alongside rooms for nursing mothers. | Equity can be achieved by an intentional focus on the different needs, conditions, and abilities of specific individuals/groups. |
Diversity
| Definition | Example | Approach |
| The range of human differences, or, the characteristics that make one individual or group different from another. | Race, culture, age, religious beliefs, physical ability, socioeconomic status, etc. | As a leader, you can introduce people to, and encourage their engagement with, the profession of engineering. |
Inclusivity
| Definition | Example | Approach |
| Intentional, proactive, and continuing efforts and practices in which all members respect, support, and value others. | Hiring from a wide variety of backgrounds, being conscious of stereotypes, and making space for others to speak. | Leaders should learn to successfully understand what makes each team member unique, and support them in being their best selves. |
WHY IS EDI IMPORTANT?
EDI brings a wide range of skills, knowledge and thinking styles together to work on problems, resulting in an effective way of accelerated problem-solving with improved outcomes. Through increased participation of underrepresented groups within the engineering workforce, EDI helps the engineering profession as a whole to better understand and protect public interests. Additionally, it opens up possibilities to attract and retain top talent through ensuring team members are treated respectfully and cared for, which boosts innovation, making organizations and companies more competitive and efficient.
HOW TO IMPLEMENT EDI PRINCIPLES
Step one of this process is to acknowledge your own privileges and biases, as these can affect your thinking. While being almost impossible to totally mitigate, acknowledging that you have your own biases, and understanding them can help you to better work around them.
Building off of the first point, sharing your vulnerabilities with your team, and acknowledging your similarities and differences can help to make others feel more included and understood.
One should also avoid using assumptions about others based off of stereotypes, as this can often be harmful no matter how well-intentioned they are.
Others should be celebrated for who they are, rather than shunned for being different than expected. As leaders, we must recognize and support the multitude of identities in the workspace, rather than expecting individuals to act in a certain way.
Lastly, educating others and encouraging meaningful conversations through genuine questions can help to promote understanding, and ensures lifelong learning.
ACTIVITY 1: BREAKING DOWN STEREOTYPES
The goal of this activity is to showcase that stereotypes are often false, and that everyone is diverse and complex. To do this activity, you will need a group of people, and access to the worksheet. Using the table provided, come up with two statements that go together. In the left, write down a description like your age, nationality, ethnicity, family role, hobby, etc. In the right, write down something that breaks a stereotype, or goes against expectations related to the previous descriptor. After a participant shares their statement, discuss how that stereotype could lead to a less inclusive community, and once everyone has shared a statement, answer the discussion questions as a group.
Example:
“I am in my fifties, but I am not bad with technology.”
Helpful tips to consider:
- Remember, this is not about researching or promoting negative stereotypes. We should be celebrating our unique identities together to crease a more equitable, diverse and inclusive community.
- For support on any of these topics, please reach out to the UofG student Wellness group at https://wellness.uoguelph.ca/.
Activity 1 Worksheet:
- Google Drive: Link to worksheet
ACTIVITY 1: KEY TAKEAWAYS
Stereotypes make one story become the only story. The problem with stereotypes is not that they are always untrue, but they are incomplete. They do not show the full picture, and thus reduce entire communities to one statement.
When we don’t have the full story, whole groups of people can be judged or even demonized through stereotypes, and thus catching yourself and being aware of these stereotypes is the first step in eliminating them. By breaking down stereotypes, we are increasing inclusion and diversity by incorporating all the stories we can, not just the one.
WHAT ARE MICROAGGRESSIONS?
Microaggressions are a comment or action that subtly, and often unconsciously or unintentionally, express a prejudiced attitude towards a member of a marginalized group. These microaggressions often appear to be a compliment or a joke, but contain a hidden insult about a group of people.
Examples: “No, where are you really from?” or “You’re actually really smart.”
While they may be small slights, they can occur on a regular basis, and overtime they can accumulate to cause lasting pain or distress.
HOW TO AVOID USING MICROAGGRESSIONS?
Avoiding microaggressions takes practice. We can recognize and address them by using the following self-awareness exercise.
- Intention: What was the intent of my behaviour?
- Assumption: What assumption did I make?
- Impact: What was the impact of my actions?
Eliminating the use of microaggressions is an ongoing process. Thus, it is not about making an occasional big step forward, but rather about making consistent progress. Be accountable for your actions and the actions of others, and this will surely help you along in your journey.
ACTIVITY 2: IDENTIFYING AND RESPONDING TO MICROAGGRESSIONS
For this activity, you will pretend you are having a conversation with two friends in which friend A uses a microaggression directed at friend B. As a group, describe how friend B might interpret the microaggression, and discuss how you could respond as a witness to the conversation.
Possible Responses:
- Inquire: Ask for clarification
- Reframe: Give a different perspective
- Identify: Directly state how it was offensive
- Diffuse: Politely take a step away to process the situation before coming back with a healthier response
Activity 2 Worksheet:
- Google Drive: Link to worksheet
ACTIVITY 2: KEY TAKEAWAYS
Subtle discriminations can be as bad, if not worse, than blatant ones. Microaggressions create toxic workplace cultures, low sense of belonging, and reduced productivity and innovation.
When responding to microaggressions, keep the focus on the person that was impacted. Take accountability, offer sincere apologies, research and learn more on the topic, and continue the conversation.
WHAT IS SOCIAL JUSTICE?
According to the United Nations, social justice may be broadly understood as the fair and compassionate distribution of the fruits of economic growth. Social justice refers to a fiar and equitable division of social resources, opportunities and privileges. This emphasises fairness in how society divides its social resources, such as access to education and healthcare.
5 Main Principles of Social Justice
Access
Equity
Diversity
Participation
Human Rights
WHY IS SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPORTANT?
Social justice in engineering is defined as: “Engineering practicies that strive to enhance human capabilities through an equitable distribution of opportunities and resources while reducing imposed risks and harms among citizens of a community”.
Engineering is public-facing, client-centered, and generally involves solving problems for others. As such, engineers have great influence over who and what is affected by our solutions. In such situations, it is important that we not only ask “Who benefits?” but also “Who suffers?”.
Ongoing Issues of Social Justice
Gender Pay Gap
- On average, women must work 15 and a half months to earn what a man does in 12 months.
- 2.4 billion women are not receiving equal economic opportunities.
- They gender pay gap is worse for those who face multiple barriers, including racialized women, Indigenous women, and women with disabilities.
Universal Healthcare
- “Good Health and Well-being” is the third Sustainable Development Goal, and is closely linked to other goals such as clean water, sanitation and zero hunger.
- According to WHO, over 930 million spend 10% of their household income on healthcare.
- Universal healthcare ensures everyone has access to healthcare needs without enduring financial hardship.
Racial Inequality
- Racial inequality affects a racial group’s ability to work, access healthcare, and receive equal education.
- Unfortunately, most nations have a history of racial discrimination and prejudice.
- Racial justice allows for the systemic fair treatment of people of all races that results in equal opportunities and outcomes for everyone.
Environmental Racism
- Environmental racism is a facet of environmental injustice and a form of systemic racism.
- It occurs when development, policies, or practices intentionally or unintentionally result in more pollution or hazards to Indigenous and racialized communities.
- Examples include industrial waste sites being placed near racialized communities, and higher levels of occupational exposure to toxic chemicals in workplaces dominated by racialized workers.
ACTIVITY 3: ENGINEERING FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE CASE STUDIES
In this activity, you will focus on one case study on the worksheet provided. This case study will tackle a particular social justice issue, and it is your task to use the reflection questions provided to have a discussion with your peers based on the scenario. Remember, it is not your job to solve these issues, but rather to talk through them with your peers to better understand the potential complexities of the situations.
Activity 3 Worksheet:
- Google Drive: Link to worksheet
ACTIVITY 3: KEY TAKEAWAYS
There is no single strategy for change, and no right way for engineers to work towards social justice. Just as engineering is collaborative in nature, working towards social justice also requires teamwork and collaboration.
WORKSHOP KEY TAKEAWAYS
Stereotypes and microaggressions oppose the principles of EDI, and can lead to toxic environments. Learning how to properly avoid and manage them can help everyone involved feel more included and appreciated, leading to a better sense of belonging and innovation.
Social Justice also aims to promote a healthier environment and society for all, through principles such as Access, Equity, Diversity, Participation and Human Rights. As leaders, we have a responsibility to understand and promote these values.
RESOURCES
Click here to access the workshop worksheets.