A brand-new tool for working with equality, inclusion and diversity – at departments, faculties and research centres – has just been completed by researchers at the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture.
KARMA is a resource site designed to help academic environments gain insight into their local situation so that concrete action plans can be developed. The tool is research-based and grounded in qualitative methods.
“All workplaces contain both visible and invisible forms of diversity. KARMA places particular emphasis on power dynamics as a foundation for equality and anti-discrimination work,” says Julie Flikke, a key researcher in the project.
Visible and Invisible Diversity
Diversity is not only about gender, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. It can just as easily concern social and economic class, language proficiency, and levels of ability.
Different forms of diversity are also addressed differently at the departmental level, within research groups, or in everyday interactions between supervisors, early-career researchers, professors, and researchers on temporary contracts.
So where should one begin?
The KARMA project introduces four different tools to choose from:
- Mapping workshop
- Observation
- Questionnaire
- Reflection cases
The website includes both text and videos explaining how the tools can be used.
Four Tools
The KARMA tools can be used individually or together and are designed to lower the threshold for examining the local situation as a basis for development work. The website can be used by everyone from HR personnel, head of department and professors to PhD candidates and others who want to work towards greater diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
A mapping workshop, for example, can be organised in connection with gatherings, seminars or meetings focusing on development and the working environment.
Observation involves consciously “putting on analytical lenses” during meetings, in lunch rooms, or during other shared activities to identify invisible power structures and the general atmosphere in the workplace.
Reflection cases, based on empirical research from Norwegian academic environments, involve discussing different types of situations and becoming aware of issues such as microaggressions, power dynamics and the use of humour.
Mapping workshops and reflection cases help reveal patterns and can serve as a starting point for developing action plans.
At first, the work may seem extensive.
That is why KARMA has developed several focus areas where mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion may occur and be observed within an academic environment.
Examples include codes of conduct – rules for behaviour that can be implemented directly – while other topics may be incorporated into action plans, such as: being new in the workplace, workplace culture, recruitment, fostering a sense of belonging, teaching and supervision, communication and language interaction, and both formal and informal leadership.
Different focus areas can be selected based on the findings from the mapping process.
A Continuous Process
The KARMA tools can help generate knowledge about local conditions and thereby lay the groundwork for local measures and action plans. The project recommends developing local action plans.
All universities and university colleges are legally required to work actively to promote equality and prevent discrimination. A new legal requirement introduced in 2020 requires systematic improvement work and an activity duty involving mapping, analysis, development of measures and evaluation of results.
However, many aspects of identity are not covered by legislation but still influence people’s experiences and careers in academia.
This may relate to the culture of specific academic environments, relationships between junior and senior researchers, or disciplinary background.
It can be difficult to know where to begin – and when the work can be considered complete. In reality, there is no clear finish line. Maintaining a focus on diversity and inclusion has intrinsic value for the working environment.
Recent Facts
At all NTNU faculties, the proportion of women in academic positions is lower than the number of men, and particularly low in the technical disciplines.