Intersectionality in Research Oversight: A Theoretical and Practical Framework Exploring Inequality

While diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts are growing more common throughout research, ethics, and regulatory communities, these concerns are too often relegated to a “check-the-box” approach. In the last year, the Black Lives Matter movement and COVID-19’s effects on communities have highlighted systemic inequalities and provided an opportunity to pursue meaningful social change. Inequalities are complex and multi-dimensional, requiring examination of the aspects and experiences that inform them. This workshop will explore “intersectionality,” a key theoretical framework for understanding how overlapping social identities, such as class, race, ethnicity, indigeneity, sexual orientation, age, religion, and disability, can create disadvantages, exclusion, and marginalization. How can we best invest in intersectional approaches, bring awareness to experiences of marginality, and improve representation? A variety of speakers will present “modules” through a multi-layered approach, including a presentation from the Emory University Office of Research Administration's Social Working Group.