Diversity in P&E

What the department says

In 2019, a group of P&E students came together to form the “Diversity in P&E” initiative. The Philosophy Department is committed to supporting the student-led initiative and to ensuring that P&E develops so as to foster diversity. Diversity means that different genders, races, socioeconomic classes, cultural backgrounds, sexual orientations, ways of thinking, and so forth are represented. It also means that members of these different groups are treated with respect and as individuals. We know that diversity is important for many reasons. Students from minority groups are much more likely to have a positive experience, to achieve their full potential in their studies, and to continue with philosophy and/or economics when they do not have to struggle with bias or discrimination and when they can see and feel that they belong in our P&E community. The impact percolates up to the higher levels, since diverse research communities are more successful. A respectful and inclusive environment with room for different experiences and perspectives is better for all of us in the end.

In response to feedback from the group, the department is now taking several concrete steps to improve diversity and how it is addressed. A task force composed of initiative and department members has been formed to mediate and to work on joint projects. For example, the task force organizes a training for the tutors who lead seminar discussions to help them to lead productive discussions, and in particular to create a healthy and inclusive discussion environment. Another aim is to bring more diversity into the curriculum itself, for example in the reading lists and by integrating feminist critiques into courses as appropriate. We look forward to further communication and cooperation with “Diversity in P&E,” and we are proud of our students for their initiative and dedication.

What the students say

Originally, we formed as a group of women to discuss and evaluate our perception of gender equality within our programme. Our main concerns were the representation of women, be it as authors, lecturers or students, our discussion culture in P&E and how the topic of feminism is being treated at our faculty. After the first meetings, we decided that we want to create an open space for all minorities in P&E to support each other. Not only for women. This means we aim to have an intersectional perspective within the work we do because we believe that oppressing institutions, such as sexism, racism, homophobia, classism etc. are interconnected and cannot be examined separately from one another.

We see ourselves as the voice of the students of the P&E programme. Therefore, we want to provide an open space for exchange between students of minority groups to discuss discrimination experiences as well as further diversity topics and issues that come up. The dialogue with the department is very important to us; we are happy about working together in the task force and are looking forward to the positive change it will spark.

Are you interested in joining us? Do you want to chat in a safe space about your experience within our programme? Or do you have things in mind you would like to be addressed? Students at all levels, faculty and other staff members in the P&E programme are welcome to join our meetings! Currently, however, the Diversity Group is inactive.

If you have any further questions or want to get in touch with us you can reach out to this email address: diversity@philosophy-economics.de, contact us via our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/614886575914450/ or text Eva (dorothea.manegold@uni-bayreuth.de)

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