"It's Kind of My Responsibility" - An Analysis of the Current EDI Discourse in Canadian STEM Fields and its Potential and Limitations to Contest Intersectional Discrimination

Oct 15, 2026

Since 2019, equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) have become institutional priorities for Canadian funding agencies and universities. This study examines how EDI discourse unfolds in scientists’ understandings within Canadian STEM fields through 18 online interviews. Critical discourse analysis and the matrix of domination guide the study, yielding four themes: EDI as trainable knowledge, managerial issue, assessable performance, and individual initiative. Results note rising awareness of underrepresentation alongside predominantly essentialist identity views, detached from institutional and structural processes shaping gender, race, class, and embodiment differences.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

EDI as a Canadian Higher Education Discourse

Historical Roots of Inequality in Universities

Policy, Action, and Research (PAR-L) and the CRC Program

“It's Kind of My Responsibility”: An Analysis of the Current EDI Discourse in Canadian STEM Fields and its Potential and Limitations to Contest Intersectional Discrimination Mirjam Fines-Neuschild Concordia University Tanja Tajmel Concordia University Abstract Since 2019, equity, diversity, and inclusion have become institutional priorities for Canadian funding agencies and universities under the acronym EDI. Here, we examine for the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) how the current EDI discourse unfolds in scientists’ understandings as EDI construct. This study presents data collected through 18 online interviews with researchers in STEM fields across Canada. For our analysis we apply critical discourse analysis and the matrix of domination. Four themes emerge from our data regarding STEM researchers’ understanding of and experience with the EDI construct: (a) EDI as trainable knowledge,(b) EDI as human resources/managerial issue,(c) EDI as assessable performance, and (d) EDI as individual initiative/lonely endeavour. Our findings suggest that the EDI discourse increases the awareness of the underrepresentation of groups in STEM fields. However, most interview participants demonstrate an essentialist understanding of identity decontextualized from institutional and structural processes of difference making along axes of gender, race, class, and body, amongst others. This critical discourse-analytical work contributes to an intersectional, power-acknowledging understanding of EDI in Canadian higher education. Keywords: intersectionality, EDI, equity, diversity, discourse, STEM Résumé Depuis 2019, l’équité, la diversité et l’inclusion, sous l’acronyme EDI, sont des priorités institutionnelles pour les organismes subventionnaires canadiens et les universités. Ici, nous examinons pour le domaine des sciences, des technologies, de l’ingénierie et des mathématiques (STIM) la manière dont le discours actuel sur l’EDI se déploie dans la compréhension qu’ont les scientifiques de l’EDIen tant que construit. Cette étude présente des données tirées de 18 entretiens en ligne avec des personnes chercheuses en STIM à travers le Canada. Pour notre analyse, nous appliquons l’analyse critique des discours et la matrice de domination. Quatre thèmes émergent de nos données à propos des compréhensions et expériences des personnes chercheuses en STIM quant au construit del’EDI : (a) l’EDI comme savoirs inculqués,(b) l’EDI comme enjeu de ressources humaines/degestion,(c) l’EDI comme performance évaluée, et (d) l’EDI comme initiative individuelle/entreprise solitaire. Nos résultats suggèrent que le discours sur l’EDI augmente laprise de conscience des catégories d’identités sociales et de la sous-représentation de groupes dans les domaines des STIM. Cependant, la plupart des personnes chercheuses en STIM qui ont été interrogées manifestent une compréhension essentialiste de l’identité, décontextualisée des processus institutionnels et structurels de création des différences selon les axes de genre, de race, de classe oude corps, entre autres. Ce travail d’analyse critique du discours contribue à une compréhension de l’EDI dans l’enseignement supérieur canadien qui est intersectionnelle et qui reconnaît les enjeux de pouvoir. Mots-clés : intersectionnalité, EDI, équité, diversité, discours, STIM Canadian Journal of Higher Education | Revue canadienne d’enseignement supérieur 54:1 (2024) Introduction Academic institutions have a history of contributing to social inequalities, such as excluding certain identities from participating in doing research (Henry et al., 2017) as well as developing theories and employing data to reinforce discrimination and legitimate their exclusion (D’Ignazio & Klein, 2020) . The history of the university is closely linked to colonialism and imperialism. According to Grosfoguel (2013), genocides and epistemicides in the 16th century played a fundamental role in paving

FAQs

What is the document’s main research focus regarding EDI in STEM?

It analyzes how current EDI discourse unfolds in STEM researchers’ understandings of EDI constructs, using interview data collected across Canada.

How was the study conducted and what analytical frameworks were used?

The study uses 18 online interviews with STEM researchers and applies critical discourse analysis together with the matrix of domination.

What key themes explain how EDI is understood by researchers?

The findings highlight four themes: EDI as trainable knowledge, as a human resources/managerial issue, as assessable performance, and as individual initiative or a lonely endeavour.

Oct 15, 2026

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