Digger letter and racism issue

[Post-Med Potterer]

Yes this is more like it, apology accepted.

I am certainly in favour of encouraging applications from under-represented groups in archaeology (eg. working-class white people from Bolton), and I for one would welcome more of these (applications that is, not BWFC supporters). However once someone has applied for the job they should be considered for it on their own merits - experience/qualifications etc.* - but preferential treatment should not be given to anyone [u]during the recruitment process</u> because of a particular origin.

*and of course the subject of experience versus qualifications has been discussed here before and is probably relevant to this thread as well.

[Post-Med Potterer]

quote:I don't see people as colours, I take them as I find them, so I can't understand why the lack of minorities in this profession is such a big issue to some. I am trying hard not to sound offensive to anyone, and I apologise if I do, but archaeology is NOT racist just because we don't attract ethnic minorities, its a ridiculous suggestion.

Yes I agree with this entirely, my response was to KW and not to yours (simultaneous posting), but I think you are spot on here.

[the invisible man]

No need to apologise kev, just a terminology thing I guess.

Totally agree with Rach, and with PMM's post about all groups. (I confess to being prejudiced about Bolton though - they have a record of beating Spurs....)

I see the root of the problem not as trying to reach working class people but the fact that in the UK we still have issues of class.

Rach's observation about people not seeing the relevance of old stuff is the key point, to me. Taking up A. Knees point, we need to disseminate our work in an appropriate accessible manner - what we do is exciting and relevant, and expensive, and we need to let everyone in on it, by means of readable books, interesting and informative museums, TV, internet, any means possible.

That's what diversity and accessibility means to me.



We owe the dead nothing but the truth.

[Post-Med Potterer]

Well said, invisible man!

I too dislike Bolton Wanderers but have in the past employed a Bolton supporter.

[kevin wooldridge]

quote:Originally posted by rachstebbsI don't see people as colours, I take them as I find them, so I can't understand why the lack of minorities in this profession is such a big issue to some.

As far as I am aware David Lammy, the Minister of Heritage was the person who raised the matter of the proportion of persons from ethnic minorities in heritage organisations. It maybe that part of his concern comes from his position in Parliament where ethnic minorities are under-represented (7.9% of 650 should equal approximately 50 MPs). Lammy said in one of his speeches that, after his appointment as a Minister he attended a reception where every major heritage institution was represented. Lammy was the only coloured person in the room. I think that may explain some of the background to his concern.

I pesonally do not think that there is racism in UK archaeology. I said that several mails back. However, I believe that if a grown-up hardened politican like David Lammy can feel intimidated by being the only coloured person in a room full of heritage professionals, then it must be even more difficult for people trying to enter the profession.

There are lots of professions in this country where the racial diversity has altered over the past 20 years. Everything from football through opera to the police force. Archaeology and museology are not amongst those professions. I was merely wondering if we could do anything more than just sit back and say that the reason we don't have a wider racial diversity is because people of non-white racial origins are not interested in applying for our kind of job. 7.9% of non-white heritage professionals, that is about 1 in every 13 posts, would be a start.

[Post-Med Potterer]

quote:7.9% of non-white heritage professionals...would be a start

Actually 7.9% would be the end, as this would then accurately reflect the proportion of ethnic minorities in the wider population.

Whenever I have applied for local authority and EH jobs, I have always filled in a form about ethnic/racial origin. What happens to this data? Is it in the public domain? Arguably it should be, if so then where is it?

[troll]

In a nation that writes and teaches a white history-If I was anything but white and British-I would`nt be remotely interested either.Not only that, in my social circles, many "ethnic minorities" have far more sense than to join an industry that offers the lowest paid graduate entrance in the country and, where the end product and the staff are treated with equal contempt.

[sniper]

and I wish we could do something about changing the history we write and teach so that it more accurately reflects the real diversity that has existed in this country for thousands of years. I may have to do some snooping around and find out how many negroid type skeletons have been excavated (probably a lot more than have been reported) in Britain, but then where do I look? According to writers and programme makers there have never been any non-white faces in British history...

++ i spend my days rummaging around in dead people ++

[troll]

Huge amounts of red-ones though......

[sniper]

they could be made to be...if they would even bother to listen to those who put forward even slightly alternative views of history...

++ i spend my days rummaging around in dead people ++