1-009 - Rethinking Demographic Data Collection: Race and Gender in Multiple Dimensions

Session Type: Conversation Roundtable

Integrative Statement

Child development researchers are increasingly willing to acknowledge gross inadequacies in current demographic data practices, such as asking youth participants to select “male” or “female,” or comparing youth participants using the pan-racial/ethnic categories of “White”, “Black,” “Asian,” “Latino/Hispanic” and “Other.” Youth whose identities are not reflected in survey items may experience this exclusion as yet another identity invalidation. This exclusion furthermore undermines the scientific foundation available for advocating for the rights of marginalized youth. Colleagues ask each other questions like, “What options should I give when asking participants to indicate gender?” or “What should I do with participants who select different race/ethnicities at each wave of my study?” We have reached a critical turning point, not just for scholars focused on questions of identity, but for all scholars who seek developmentally and culturally responsive methods for researching diverse children and youth. This roundtable will facilitate a conversation to offer developmental scientists specific considerations regarding why and how to collect demographic data that is responsive to participants who do not identify with clear-cut, binary or monolithic survey boxes. Building this specific framework and sharing cutting-edge concrete tools will help propel the field forward towards increasing accuracy, inclusivity, and representation in child development research. This roundtable thus supports the SRCD strategic plan by advancing developmental science methods and integrating diversity into our data sets and knowledge base. The moderator will be Dr. Miriam Arbeit (Assistant Professor of Psychology, Suffolk University), whose scholarship includes both identity-specific and general population research.

Sub Unit

• Diversity, Equity & Social Justice

Moderator

• Miriam R Arbeit, Suffolk University

Panelists

• Aerika Brittian Loyd, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Emily Greytak, GLSEN

• Adrienne Nishina, University of California, Davis

• Russell B Toomey, University of Arizona