FIELD @ Berkeley

Fieldwork Inspiring Expanded Leadership and Diversity

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FIELD Project

Fieldwork Inspiring Expanded Leadership and Diversity

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ABOUT THE FIELD PROJECT

The NSF-funded FIELD (Fieldwork Inspiring Expanded Leadership and Diversity) Project aims to make field activity in the geosciences more accessible, culturally sensitive, and inclusive by equipping field leaders with the perspectives, skills, and solidarity to address barriers in field settings. Field activity is integral to the geosciences, yet the dominant culture continues to set the norms for fieldwork expectations. Individuals who are underrepresented in STEM (e.g. people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, women, LGBTQ individuals), also face barriers with field activity, including economic exclusion, anxiety about outdoor experiences, attitudes of ableism, and accessibility. These barriers are often ingrained in the culture of field training and research activities, a field culture that continues to emphasize physical ability, mental toughness, assertive behavior, and one-upmanship. The perpetuation of this culture is, in large part, a function of its leaders unquestioning socialization into it.

The project will be conducted in three phases in response to project goals.

Phase 1: Assessing the Culture of Fieldwork

To understand the culture of learning in the field and barriers to equitable participation and inclusion, social scientists Anne-Marie Nuñez and Julie Posselt each participated in postsecondary field-based summer learning experiences in the U.S. Nuñez observed a summer field camp for undergraduates in the Rocky Mountains, and Posselt observed a summer field course for graduate students on the west coast. As participant-observers, they resided in dormitories or apartment complexes where students and instructors stayed; they completed day trips with the group to field sites for mapping, data collection, and more; and attended meals, meetings, and work sessions with student participants.

Continue Reading about Phase 1: Assessing the Culture of Fieldwork

Phase 2: The Institute

During the second phase of the FIELD project, the PI team will convene a 4-day immersive leadership development institute for field geoscientists to:

  1. Discuss the results of the field culture assessment;
  2. Engage in practical skills training such as bystander intervention and diversity leadership;
  3. Collaboratively develop new approaches to reduce the exclusionary nature of field culture.

Continue Reading about Phase 2: The Institute

Phase 3: Evaluation, Assessment, and Development

The third phase will consist of evaluation, assessment, and the creation of a professional development leadership model based on research conducted on the FIELD Institute. It is our hope that FIELD will expose participants firsthand to the dynamics of exclusion often taking place in the field and inspire and motivate these leaders to transformative nature of field activity.