Erin A. Cech (she/her)
@CechErin
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Sociology Prof @UMich. Author of #TheTroubleWithPassion & #MisconceivingMerit Studies cultural mechs of ≠. Engineer-trained. Queer. Tweets abt research.
Joined January 2020
It’s book release day for #TheTroubleWithPassion from @UCPress! At heart, the book takes to task a ubiquitous western cultural belief: that an ideal way to make career decisions is to “follow your passion.” A 🧵of themes…
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Join @CechErin for a seminar on LGBTQ inequality in STEM, exploring systemic disadvantages faced by LGBTQ STEM professionals. Brought to you by @MEAM_Penn. #LGBTQinSTEM
https://t.co/PESvyhqPAD
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New study finds that white men who experience workplace mistreatment are more likely to recognize and act against gender and racial biases among colleagues. @UMSociology's @CechErin's research suggests that personal encounters with bullying can significantly shift perceptions of
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Engineers must ensure their technologies do not harm public safety or well-being, but nearly a third of U.S. engineers never received training on this. @CindyFinelli & @CechErin are integrating sociotechnical issues into engineering education Article 🔽
ece.engin.umich.edu
Training in formal classes proves the most effective way to prepare engineers to protect public welfare at work
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👀Americans who experience downward mobility are more likely to attribute inequality to structural processes, while those who rise are more likely to reject structural explanations. NEW: @UM_PSC's Sofia Hiltner and @CechErin in @SF_Journal. Full abstract below ⬇️
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ARE TOMORROW'S ENGINEERS READY TO FACE AI'S ETHICAL CHALLENGES? Our team finds engineering students are woefully unprepared for AI's ethical dilemmas & engr colleges often provide little serious training w/@egoldenkoff @CindyFinelli
https://t.co/4O6MUyW93t - @ConversationUS
theconversation.com
Ethics is often neglected in engineering education, two researchers write, despite mounting questions about how to responsibly design artificial intelligence programs.
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Thanks to @thier_jane for this great writeup in @FortuneMagazine on the "lowering meritocratic blinders" research-- how workplace harassment experiences increase white men's recognition and reporting of race and gender bias at work
New: White men who have been targets of harassment themselves (bullying, physical or verbal intimidation, etc) in the workplace are more likely report other instances of racial and gender bias, per a new study from @CechErin: https://t.co/nEgrTj5Cfn
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(2) Antiracism & antisexism efforts must account for how privileged workers’ meaning-making about own experiences act as blinders to bias recognition/reporting. White men’s critique of status quo via reflection on mistreatment may stave off backlash that undermines change efforts
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Of course, the answer is not that we should ⬆️harassment toward white men. Rather… (1) White men harassment targets may be unexpected allies: reflecting on experiences may foster fruitful skepticism that their workplace really operates fairly.
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Why the increased sensitivity to bias? I argue that white men's harassment experiences destabilizes their otherwise deeply-held beliefs that their workplace operates meritocratically.
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INFO🧵: Study used survey data from over 11,000 workers in 24 fed agencies (incl. 5k white men). White men who experienced harassment (e.g., physical intimidation, work sabotage) more likely to recognize race and gender bias in their wkplace & to report incidents of bias they saw
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Which white men recognize and report sexism and racism in their workplaces? As it turns out, those who have experienced harassment/bullying themselves. New in AJS, I show how workplace harassment experiences help lower white men's "meritocratic blinders" https://t.co/R6jdvlmbPj
journals.uchicago.edu
White men will be allies in addressing workplace racism and sexism only to the extent they recognize that such bias exists and are willing to act. This article proposes a novel factor in white men’s...
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#UmichSoc Associate Professor Erin Cech’s study finds that white men are more attuned to systemic race & gender bias after experiencing workplace harassment. Explore her impactful work and fascinating findings! ➡️ https://t.co/hqnzzLqKPx
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@CechErin and I are studying how engineering students and practitioners learn about their responsibilities to the public. We have a new article comparing the impact of different types of instruction - we need to do a better job educating engineers! https://t.co/TykAgyvcDb
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Background Engineers are professionally obligated to protect the safety and well-being of the public impacted by the technologies they design and maintain. In an increasingly complex sociotechnical...
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📢Postdoc Opportunity! Come work with our multidisciplinary (psych, soc, environ sci, hist, phil) UMich & Mich State team on our NSF-funded project investigating the effects of negative dept and team climate on early-career STEM folks. Apply now!
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Thank you all for sharing your heartfelt words & stories of Xiaohong. His impact is deeply evident. In honor of Professor Xu, and to ensure his legacy lives on for future generations, we have established the Xiaohong Xu Memorial Support Endowment Fund.
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Is following your work passion overrated? "Employers who prioritize passion expect people to give more time and energy without being paid more," says @CechErin, author of THE TROUBLE WITH PASSION
irishtimes.com
When your career overshadows all other parts of your life, you may want to rethink your priorities
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Huge thanks to @UMichIRWG for hosting a wonderful book panel for #TheTroubleWithPassion and @megankillian and Harmony Reppond for their invigorating comments and questions!
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Virual and in person panel on #TheTroubleWithPassion, Wednesday Oct 25. Sponsored by @UMichIRWG; registeration is free. Honored to discuss the book with Prof. @megankillian and Prof. Harmony Reppond!
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