Struggles and Unique Obstacles Encountered by Scholars in Underrepresented Categories

In the 2021 meeting of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH), a panel discussion was held by the American Journal of Bioethics. The session focused on the unique challenges facing underrepresented scholars in bioethics, particularly when publishing their academic work.

The panel, moderated by Dr. John Lantos, included esteemed members from marginalized and underrepresented groups, such as Dr. Patrick Smith, Dr. Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, Dr. Barry DeCoster, Dr. Nanibaa' Garrison, and Keisha Ray, PhD. These scholars, who represent Black people, Native Americans, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ people, discussed the challenges they face in finding proper advisors, mentors, and appropriate reviewers for their work on underrepresented groups.

The panel also addressed the difficulties faced by politically, socially, and academically underrepresented groups, including disagreements about what counts as appropriate research and the concept of the "minority tax". The "minority tax" refers to the extra effort and emotional labour often required to prove one's worth in predominantly white, able-bodied, and heteronormative academic spaces.

Strategies for aligning cultural values and upbringing with scholarly interests were also discussed, as well as the challenges faced by these scholars when trying to secure employment, given that their work is often specific to underrepresented groups.

A video of the insightful and enlightening session can be found at the provided link for those who wish to delve deeper into the topics discussed. The panel's discourse underscores the importance of addressing and overcoming the barriers faced by underrepresented scholars in the field of bioethics.

Struggles and Unique Obstacles Encountered by Scholars in Underrepresented Categories