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Did You Know? The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) has 14 active standing and operational committees, composed of approximately 150 members. Each committee has its own charge from SRCD’s Governing Council and generates its own activities. In the coming months, watch your inbox to learn more about the initiatives of our committees, their dedicated members, and how each contributes to a more vibrant SRCD and to advancing child development research. We began by spotlighting the Student and Early Career Council (SECC). We continue with a closer look at the work of the Equity and Justice committee. |
The need to address issues of equity and justice is ever more pressing in today’s world. Equity and justice are fundamental to healthy child development. As such, they are increasingly a focus of research in developmental science.
History of the Equity and Justice Committee
The SRCD Equity and Justice Committee evolved from an SRCD task force established in 2010 with the specific charge of considering the role of diversity, broadly defined, in developmental research and the field of developmental sciences. The initial task force was composed of members from diverse disciplines who studied distinct and varied aspects of diversity within developmental science. The work of the task force culminated in a proposal to SRCD’s Governing Council to establish a standing committee on Equity and Justice within the organizational structure of SRCD. In April 2011, an initial committee was seated by SRCD’s Governing Council and that group, chaired by Dr. Melanie Killen, established the initial committee charge and mission. In 2011, SRCD formally established its Equity and Justice Committee (EJC).
Purpose of the EJC
The committee’s official charge is to:
- promote the importance and legitimacy of topics related to equity and justice in childhood and adolescence;
- advance scientific scholarship; and
- disseminate and implement findings that bear on programs and policies related to equity and justice.
“Now more than ever, the committee finds its work of the utmost importance,” said Dr. Christia Spears Brown, Chair of the committee and Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Kentucky. “Collectively, we believe that equity and justice research in the developmental sciences can improve the lives of all children, reduce prejudice and bias, and create programs to rectify social inequalities.”
Spears Brown and the committee's other scholars work to promote national and international research on topics related to equity and justice in childhood and adolescence, disseminate related findings, and help to ensure equity and justice in the profession and within SRCD itself.
What does the EJC do in practice?
Since its establishment, the committee (through several smaller working groups) has engaged in several activities to further the mission of the committee and the strategic initiatives of SRCD. To highlight the importance of its work, the committee created and maintains its own website. In 2016, members of the EJC commissioned a special section of Child Development, “Discrimination, Social Exclusion, and Intergroup Attitudes: Equity and Justice in Developmental Science,” which focused on discrimination, social exclusion, and intergroup attitudes. On March 1, 2017, the EJC issued a position statement asserting that equity and social justice for all children is a necessary condition for the overall mission of SRCD. At SRCD’s 2017 Biennial Meeting, the committee hosted two roundtable discussions; one focusing on career development for early and mid-career scholars and another focusing on innovative strategies to promote equity and justice. In December 2017 for International Human Rights Day, EJC created a resource list showcasing the work of Society members on children and human rights. Currently, the committee advises the Governing Council on ensuring inclusivity at our 2019 Biennial Meeting and beyond.
Get Involved with the EJC
The Equity and Justice Committee is collaborating with the Ethnic and Racial Issues Committee, in partnership with the Society’s Black, Latino, and Asian Caucuses, in plans to host a pre-conference session at the 2019 Biennial Meeting in Baltimore. To learn more and engage with the committee, visit the committee website or e-mail the members of the committee directly.