1st December 2005, 04:19 PM
I would agree with Aching Knees that there is little overt racism in archaeology. However, at least one government culture minister (David Lammy) has been publicly quoted as saying (with regard to equal opportunity and equal representation for social, racial and cultural minorities), 'If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem'.
Which perhaps suggests we should be all considering why the professions of archaeology and museology are staffed by predominately 'white' staff, particularly in areas of the country where there is a greater than average racially and culturally diverse population.
One solution might be to encourage 'positive discrimination' for a fixed period of time that would allow a more diverse employment profile to be established, for role models to be created and perhaps a wider ranging social profile given to the archaeology/museology agenda. I certainly think that this is one area where the IFA RAO scheme could be used in a positive fashion and maybe all members should be required to show a commitment to Outreach schemes that aim to widen social and racial diversity in the profession.
Which could work quite easily in a smallish profession like archaeology that has (at least at the moment) no formal entry qualifications. It would also, if successful, raise our profile (and by inference our access to funding) considerably amongst the politician classes that like to encourage this kind of initiative.
Which perhaps suggests we should be all considering why the professions of archaeology and museology are staffed by predominately 'white' staff, particularly in areas of the country where there is a greater than average racially and culturally diverse population.
One solution might be to encourage 'positive discrimination' for a fixed period of time that would allow a more diverse employment profile to be established, for role models to be created and perhaps a wider ranging social profile given to the archaeology/museology agenda. I certainly think that this is one area where the IFA RAO scheme could be used in a positive fashion and maybe all members should be required to show a commitment to Outreach schemes that aim to widen social and racial diversity in the profession.
Which could work quite easily in a smallish profession like archaeology that has (at least at the moment) no formal entry qualifications. It would also, if successful, raise our profile (and by inference our access to funding) considerably amongst the politician classes that like to encourage this kind of initiative.