Confronting Elitism in Modern Science
Elitism in scientific and academic communities undermines the next generation of scientists and changemakers.
Elitism happens when certain groups are regarded as superior, allowing them to control resources specific to their community. This creates a separation between said group and the rest of the community, introducing a social and material disconnect.
Dating back to the days of Charles Darwin, Galileo Galilei, and Nikola Tesla, the scientific field has always been dominated by white men, leaving a noticeable impact on modern science.
Since most health research is conducted by white men on other white men, there is less information on women and people of colour. Much of the research that does exist on these groups is limited or incorrect.
One current example of this pertains to scientific knowledge about pulse oximeters. Pulse oximeters calculate blood oxygen levels and heart rate using light absorption rates into the skin. Oximeters are used to determine whether a patient requires supportive treatment to breathe. The biggest weakness in using this technique is that, in darker-skinned patients, light absorption rates differ. This reflects a disparity, rooted in elitism, in how science serves the population.
Research cannot be truly profitable unless it is generalizable to all groups of people. Scientific elitism makes it extremely difficult to fight against cases of scientific racism and exclusion. The lack of data on marginalized groups leaves space for assumptions about the innate physical and mental states of non-elite groups, allowing other elite groups to place themselves on a pedestal.
Another issue is accessibility to research information and results. Reports and other analyses are not easy for many people to obtain. Even for students, who are supposed to the next generation of science, rigorous research from reputable academic journals is almost always hidden behind an expensive and oftentimes unnecessary paywall. This only reinforces the notion that scientifically elitist groups are more interested in elevating their status and furthering their knowledge than the greater good.
Many University of Toronto students in science and humanities programs have faced this issue when researching assignments. During my early years in both the forensic and biology programs, inaccessibility limited my potential and my motivation. In trying to produce quality research papers on a thesis based off new information, I was bound by the walls of what was available in these elitist databases.
In cases where scientific information is made accessible, such as in magazines or on social media, it is often oversimplified and limited. Simplification can be an efficient tool for accessibility by helping the public properly understand the information. However, when the public is presented with a “dumbed-down” version of the actual research that took place, they are discouraged from fully grasping the impact of scientific knowledge. This can also intensify scientific denialism, which directly pertains to the funding and support of the scientific community.
Institutions such as university are one of the biggest enablers of elitism and marginalization within science. Money, particularly tuition fees, is one of the largest factors[MT1] that can hinder both the quality of education and the progression into the post-grad science field. By making research open to more students studying in relevant fields, we can begin the shift towards an elitist-free environment within academia.
Although a system such as this is inevitably difficult to change, the first step is always recognition and education. By educating individuals on how elitism directly affects their own scope of knowledge, we can bring larger communities towards a realization of the need for change and mobilize them to a fairer learning experience for all.
Associate Opinion Editor (Volume 50) —Tia is a third-year student completing a double major in Anthropology and Sociology. She uses The Medium as an outlet to do some creative writing that can't be expressed through the countless academic papers she writes during the semester. When she's not writing for the opinion section, you can find Tia getting gains in the gym, working at the campus pool, or volunteering with UTM ECSpeRT!