The richest 100 Americans own more than $2 trillion in assets, the equivalent of about 10% of GDP in the U.S. in 2021. A photo of this group would reveal that nearly all of them are White men—a scene strikingly similar to that of an 18th-century gathering of the British aristocracy. Meanwhile, compared to White Americans, Black Americans are only two-thirds as likely to graduate from college but almost twice as likely to be unemployed and over five times as likely to be incarcerated.
Social disparities occur along many other demographic axes as well, including gender, sexual orientation/identity, religious background, and immigration status. As an immigrant, a person of color, a neuroatypical scholar, and a queer person, I know firsthand how the issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) impact people like me and how urgent it is for us to address them. Informed by my own lived experience, I promote DEI via my roles as a researcher, a teacher, and an advocate for social justice.
As a Researcher
My research often directly engages with topics of race, gender, and politics. Collectively, my research on these topics contributes to DEI by advancing our understanding of the nature of prejudice, identifying sociopsychological factors that hinder progress toward DEI, and providing recommendations that organizations should consider in their DEI efforts.
For example, my recent research offered a new theory that individuals’ support for a particular leader is determined more by the leader’s beliefs than by their race and gender (Bai, 2021; JPSP). Many prejudiced citizens support Black and female candidates such as Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina, whose platforms do not challenge the racial/gender status quo. Conversely, they often “counterintuitively” oppose White male candidates whose policies would advance equality. In this way, prejudice can easily be disguised as support for minority right-wing leaders (“I vouched for a Black guy, so how can I be racist?”). This work has important implications for diversity in organizations and leadership selection. Diversity initiatives should not only consider the demographic backgrounds of those who are hired or appointed, but also their policies with respect to racial and gender equality—for example, whether a new hire would advocate for women and people of color in the organization.
As a researcher, I am also committed to promoting my field’s inclusiveness in its subject matter (i.e., whose psychology are we studying?). For example, in one paper, where my colleague and I propose a theory of symmetry in racial dehumanization (Bai & Zhao, unpublished manuscript), not only do we show that perceivers from the majority group hold a dehumanized view of Black and Asian people, but we also interrogate the research question specifically from the perspectives of Black and Asian participants. My commitment to my field’s subject matter inclusiveness extends beyond the United States. For example, in my paper on the Belief-Driven Model of Social Perception (Bai, unpublished manuscript), I collected data from low-income countries and the global south (i.e., Mexico and South Africa), which are rarely represented in social and behavioral science. My research thus offers a nuanced examination of psychological phenomena in different cultural contexts.
Finally, I strive to advance the diversity of the scientific community. When proposing a conference symposium, for example, I ensure that women and other scientists of color are included, and I form collaborations with scientists from diverse backgrounds. To date, all of my mentees and research assistants have been either women or students of color. In summary, as a researcher who studies the topic of diversity itself, I take the value of DEI to heart. Although much attention has been devoted to advancing DEI, my field remains predominantly White and American-centric. I look forward to leading my field’s efforts toward becoming a more diverse and inclusive discipline as an assistant professor.
As a Teacher
I will never forget my fourth-grade teacher’s disparaging remarks when I had a particularly bad episode of Tourette’s in class. I vividly remember my seventh-grade teacher telling me I did not belong in the city I lived in when she found out my family was a Beipiao (migrant workers in Beijing). I did not come out as queer until I was in college because so many of my teachers had used slurs to describe queer people.
Teachers have a tremendous impact on their students, and their influence can endure even after the teacher-student relationship concludes. As a result, what teachers say and how they approach a classroom environment can profoundly shape how their students think about themselves and their capabilities. As a teacher, I am committed to promoting DEI in my classroom. I am dedicated to creating an environment where diversity is celebrated, differences are valued, and everyone is included.
In practice, I make it explicit that DEI is valued in my classroom. I learn and adopt the latest teaching strategies for approaching DEI-related issues in the classroom. I structure my classes in a way that is particularly helpful for—and appreciated by—marginalized or disadvantaged students, for whom an additional layer of flexibility and availability from me can go a long way toward helping them achieve academic success. For example, I prioritize meetings with students in my schedule and provide timely responses to their questions. I encourage students to schedule as much time as they feel they need to, and I am never ever “too busy” for my students. Whenever an issue arises, I reach out to my students to discuss their needs and help them form concrete goals and plans to overcome their challenges. For example, if a student is falling behind, I offer one-on-one coaching to identify Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) goals. In short, as a teacher, I am committed to promoting DEI by establishing it as a basic principle of my classroom and by providing extra support for students from diverse and marginalized backgrounds.
As a Social Justice Advocate
Finally, as an individual with several intersecting marginalized identities, I care deeply about social justice. To advance DEI in academia and beyond, I have volunteered at the Beijing LGBT Center and the Queer Student Cultural Center (QSCC) at the University of Minnesota. In these centers, I organized events to build community among queer people and to promote trust and positive images of the queer community. As a group facilitator at the QSCC, I facilitated group discussions and provided support for individuals at various stages of coming out, including those who were still discovering or coming to terms with their sexual or gender identities.
I also contribute to social justice by communicating DEI-related scientific findings to the general public. For example, I have hosted DEI workshops where I discussed research on diversity and racism with non-academic audiences, including seniors in nursing homes and business leaders in private companies. I believe that, over the long term, these efforts will have a cumulatively powerful impact on society by creating more informed citizens who will make progress toward DEI goals in their everyday life.
Conclusion
In summary, I am committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion as a researcher, a teacher, and a leader in my community. I am looking forward to incorporating impactful DEI efforts into my work as a faculty member.
Social disparities occur along many other demographic axes as well, including gender, sexual orientation/identity, religious background, and immigration status. As an immigrant, a person of color, a neuroatypical scholar, and a queer person, I know firsthand how the issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) impact people like me and how urgent it is for us to address them. Informed by my own lived experience, I promote DEI via my roles as a researcher, a teacher, and an advocate for social justice.
As a Researcher
My research often directly engages with topics of race, gender, and politics. Collectively, my research on these topics contributes to DEI by advancing our understanding of the nature of prejudice, identifying sociopsychological factors that hinder progress toward DEI, and providing recommendations that organizations should consider in their DEI efforts.
For example, my recent research offered a new theory that individuals’ support for a particular leader is determined more by the leader’s beliefs than by their race and gender (Bai, 2021; JPSP). Many prejudiced citizens support Black and female candidates such as Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina, whose platforms do not challenge the racial/gender status quo. Conversely, they often “counterintuitively” oppose White male candidates whose policies would advance equality. In this way, prejudice can easily be disguised as support for minority right-wing leaders (“I vouched for a Black guy, so how can I be racist?”). This work has important implications for diversity in organizations and leadership selection. Diversity initiatives should not only consider the demographic backgrounds of those who are hired or appointed, but also their policies with respect to racial and gender equality—for example, whether a new hire would advocate for women and people of color in the organization.
As a researcher, I am also committed to promoting my field’s inclusiveness in its subject matter (i.e., whose psychology are we studying?). For example, in one paper, where my colleague and I propose a theory of symmetry in racial dehumanization (Bai & Zhao, unpublished manuscript), not only do we show that perceivers from the majority group hold a dehumanized view of Black and Asian people, but we also interrogate the research question specifically from the perspectives of Black and Asian participants. My commitment to my field’s subject matter inclusiveness extends beyond the United States. For example, in my paper on the Belief-Driven Model of Social Perception (Bai, unpublished manuscript), I collected data from low-income countries and the global south (i.e., Mexico and South Africa), which are rarely represented in social and behavioral science. My research thus offers a nuanced examination of psychological phenomena in different cultural contexts.
Finally, I strive to advance the diversity of the scientific community. When proposing a conference symposium, for example, I ensure that women and other scientists of color are included, and I form collaborations with scientists from diverse backgrounds. To date, all of my mentees and research assistants have been either women or students of color. In summary, as a researcher who studies the topic of diversity itself, I take the value of DEI to heart. Although much attention has been devoted to advancing DEI, my field remains predominantly White and American-centric. I look forward to leading my field’s efforts toward becoming a more diverse and inclusive discipline as an assistant professor.
As a Teacher
I will never forget my fourth-grade teacher’s disparaging remarks when I had a particularly bad episode of Tourette’s in class. I vividly remember my seventh-grade teacher telling me I did not belong in the city I lived in when she found out my family was a Beipiao (migrant workers in Beijing). I did not come out as queer until I was in college because so many of my teachers had used slurs to describe queer people.
Teachers have a tremendous impact on their students, and their influence can endure even after the teacher-student relationship concludes. As a result, what teachers say and how they approach a classroom environment can profoundly shape how their students think about themselves and their capabilities. As a teacher, I am committed to promoting DEI in my classroom. I am dedicated to creating an environment where diversity is celebrated, differences are valued, and everyone is included.
In practice, I make it explicit that DEI is valued in my classroom. I learn and adopt the latest teaching strategies for approaching DEI-related issues in the classroom. I structure my classes in a way that is particularly helpful for—and appreciated by—marginalized or disadvantaged students, for whom an additional layer of flexibility and availability from me can go a long way toward helping them achieve academic success. For example, I prioritize meetings with students in my schedule and provide timely responses to their questions. I encourage students to schedule as much time as they feel they need to, and I am never ever “too busy” for my students. Whenever an issue arises, I reach out to my students to discuss their needs and help them form concrete goals and plans to overcome their challenges. For example, if a student is falling behind, I offer one-on-one coaching to identify Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) goals. In short, as a teacher, I am committed to promoting DEI by establishing it as a basic principle of my classroom and by providing extra support for students from diverse and marginalized backgrounds.
As a Social Justice Advocate
Finally, as an individual with several intersecting marginalized identities, I care deeply about social justice. To advance DEI in academia and beyond, I have volunteered at the Beijing LGBT Center and the Queer Student Cultural Center (QSCC) at the University of Minnesota. In these centers, I organized events to build community among queer people and to promote trust and positive images of the queer community. As a group facilitator at the QSCC, I facilitated group discussions and provided support for individuals at various stages of coming out, including those who were still discovering or coming to terms with their sexual or gender identities.
I also contribute to social justice by communicating DEI-related scientific findings to the general public. For example, I have hosted DEI workshops where I discussed research on diversity and racism with non-academic audiences, including seniors in nursing homes and business leaders in private companies. I believe that, over the long term, these efforts will have a cumulatively powerful impact on society by creating more informed citizens who will make progress toward DEI goals in their everyday life.
Conclusion
In summary, I am committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion as a researcher, a teacher, and a leader in my community. I am looking forward to incorporating impactful DEI efforts into my work as a faculty member.
Contact
[email protected]
[email protected] (for all inquiries related to The Publish or Perish Game)
At the moment Max is unable to take on new requests for peer reviewing manuscripts unfortunately.
[email protected]
[email protected] (for all inquiries related to The Publish or Perish Game)
At the moment Max is unable to take on new requests for peer reviewing manuscripts unfortunately.