Palaeontology is synonymous with excavating fossils,but the stereotype of the rugged, white, and male digger,could be a barrier to diversity in Earth science
As I eye myself in the mirror before heading off to the office for another day of palaeontological research, I wonder: ought I to be wearing a hat? Preferably wide-brimmed, and even a Stetson. I button up my teal cardigan – shouldn’t that be a checked shirt? Or a t-shirt with a T rex meme emblazoned across the front? And where are my hiking boots? No-one ever studied extinct animals in a skirt and tights now,did they? “She’s too well dressed to be a palaeontologist,” a male colleague recently commented to me, and regarding a main female researcher. It was said in jest,but I was troubled by the inference that there was a “correct” way to dress for our job. I found myself wondering: conclude I fit in with my colleagues? Does a desire to colour-match suggest you’re a less committed researcher? Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com