Dr. Emily Dawson's Reflection Exercise to highlight issues around white, class, gender privilege in Science Centres and Museums
Emily Dawson's Reflection Exercise
Dr. Emily Dawson has shared her reflection exercise which she adapted from Peggy McIntosh's White Privilege: Upacking the Invisible Knapsack (1988) to fit with the Science Centres and Museums experience.
Please see below:
- At work in a science museum (or similar space), I can, if I wish to, arrange to be in the company of colleagues my own “race”/ethnicity, gender and/or class background most of the time
2. I can go into a science museum (or similar space) pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed by security guards, café servers, shop assistants or other staff members and visitors
3. If I choose to visit a science museum (or similar space) I can be pretty sure that the history, culture and practices of people from my “race”/ethnicity, gender and class background will be widely represented in positive ways
4. I am never asked to speak for my whole “race/ethnic group, gender or class
5. My data is never used by institutions to speak for my whole “race”/ethnic group, gender or class
6. When I am told about what is positive in science, our national heritage, culture or “civilisation” in a science museum (or similar space) I am shown that people of my “race”/ethnicity, gender and class background made it
what it is
7. I can look across science learning practices – from school, to mass media, to museums and science centres - see people of my “race”/ethnicity, gender and class background widely and positively represented
8. When I am told about what is positive in science, and how science relates to our national heritage, culture or “civilisation” I am shown that people of my “race”/ethnicity, gender and class background made science what it is
9. I can be sure that my children will be given curriculum materials that testify to the existence and value of their “race”/ethnicity, gender and class background
10. I can go into a science museum (or similar space) and find staple foods and drinks, toilet facilities and rest areas which fit with my cultural practices
11. When using an exhibit in a science museum with my family (or similar space) I can ignore it, ignore instructions, make mistakes and/or not understand anything about it without people attributing these choices to bad morals (i.e.being a bad parent and not supporting my child’s learning, or disliking science) or illiteracy (i.e. not being able to understand this exhibit means I don’t understand anything), but that people will attribute my struggles with an exhibit to poor exhibit design.
12. I can remain oblivious to the language and customs of people from ethnic backgrounds that are not my own, who constitute the worlds majority, without feeling in my culture, knowledge or practices any penalty for such
oblivion.
13. I can criticise science and science learning, engagement and communication practices without being seen as a cultural outside
14. In a science museum shop (or similar space) I can easily buy posters, postcards, books, toys, games and/or magazines featuring people of my “race”/ethnicity, gender and class background
15. I can get a job in a science museum (or similar space) without suspecting that I got my job because of affirmative action
16. I can go home from a day at a science museum (or similar space) feeling somewhat tied in, rather than isolated, out-of-place, outnumbered, unheard, held at a distance, or feared.
17. If I choose to visit a science museum (or similar space) I can be pretty sure I have the money and available leisure time to travel to it, to go inside the space, to eat in the café, to buy gifts at the shop and I do not worry about having enough money
18. If I choose to visit a science museum (or similar space) I can be pretty sure that I will be shown science through stories that feature people of my “race”/ethnicity, gender and class background
19. If I choose to visit a science museum (or similar space) I can be pretty sure that I will see people of my “race”/ethnicity, gender and class background in the visitors, staff and statues, photographs, exhibit stories, computer interactives, shop paraphernalia etc
20. If I choose to visit a science museum (or similar space) I can be pretty sure that the history of people from my “race”/ethnicity, gender and class background will be widely represented in positive ways
21. If I choose to visit a science museums (or similar space) I can be pretty sure I will be able to speak to people in my language, read texts (exhibit labels, computer interactive instructions) in my language and feel confident
following way-finding signs in my language
22. If I choose to visit a science museum (or similar space) I can be pretty sure staff facilitators in education sessions and floor staff will be people from my “race”/ethnicity, gender and class background
23. I can pretty much behave as “myself” in a science museum (or similar space) without feeling out-of-place
24. If visit a science museum (or similar space) I can be pretty sure I will see
other people who look like me while I am there.
25. I can have a crappy experience at a science museum (or similar space) without having to worry about whether it was because of racism, sexism &/or class discrimination
26. I can see the point of science museums (and similar spaces) they speak to my interests, my needs, my knowledges, my practices and my values.
27. If I want to visit a science museum (or similar space) I can be pretty sure that I, or people who are my friends, family and/or neighbours will know where a good place for me to visit could be.