All science is political. From the questions that we ask and the approaches that we take to answer them to the relationships that we build and the ways that we (and others!) use science to make decisions, we are engaging in politics and driving political processes at various scales. Rather than try to ignore the role of politics in our scientific praxis, we are intentional and thoughtful about our political positionality.
The CoReACTER is an anti-oppressive research organization, aiming to subvert practices that are harmful and/or destructive to the well-being of ourselves, other humans, non-human life, and the planet. In particular, we align ourselves with:
(Intersectional) feminism
Disability justice
Environmental justice and sustainability
and we actively oppose the forces of:
White supremacy, anti-Blackness, and racism
(Cis)sexism, homophobia, and transphobia
Capitalism and classism
Colonialism
Ableism
Nationalism(s) of all forms
Fascism and totalitarianism
Academia is a deeply flawed system that is embedded in other flawed and harmful systems. Becuase of this, we cannot completely avoid engaging in Capitalism (modern research universities operate as capitalistic enterprises; we also need to finance our research), colonialism (CMU's campus is on stolen land, within a colonized country and colonizing nation-state), and nationalism (most research that takes place in the United States is publicly funded, and publicly funded research generally supports American national interests); perhaps this is also true of some of the other evils that we have outlined. Nonetheless, we openly challenge and subvert oppressive paradigms and structures where and how we can.
Our core principles, which guide us as we practice science, are:
Honesty: We are honest with ourselves, with our fellow ReACTERs, with the scientific community, and with the world. Honesty means truth-telling – saying what we know or believe to be right, whether it is convenient or not. It also means transparency. We strive to communicate openly throughout the scientific process, to share early and often rather than hoarding or hiding information.
Humility: Often, "humble" is used to mean that one has a low opinion of one's self. Rather, when we say that we aim to be humble, we mean (following LeGuin) that we aim to avoid both excessive pride and self-deprecation. Through careful reflection and honest dialogue, we try to maintain an accurate, moderate understanding of ourselves, our knowledge, our behavior, and our place in our communities. Critical to effective humility is knowing our own limits, knowing what we know and what we don't know!
Collectivism: No scientist is an island. We are all part of many communities – groups of friends, colleagues, biological and found families, neighborhoods, folks who go to the same hair salon. Our approach to our work centers these communities, rather than our own interests. We are motivated to use scientific inquiry and our expertise to make our communities and the broader world better than we found them. Our work seeks to uplift others, particularly those in need. We will never harm or put down others for our personal benefit.
Justice: Historically, Western science has been practiced primarily by the elite members of society. This elite practice has created or supported (and continues, in many ways, to create and support) regimes of oppression, repression, subjugation, and exclusion. While CoReACTER operates within traditional academic structures, we aim to push against oppressive practices and create more just policies and outcomes, within the Academy and outside of it.
Kindness: In a world of competition, we choose collaboration. In a world of selfishness, we choose to give freely. In a world that is hard and unforgiving, we choose softness. Where we find ourselves given the choice, we choose to be kind: to ourselves, to each other, and to those around us. We aim to be empathetic and understand the perspectives of others, and where we cannot empathize, we sympathize and listen.
Curiosity: Science as a philosophy offers tools for problem-solving, and we employ these tools to address meaningful problems, from fundamental theoretical questions to global challenges like anthropogenic climate change and plastic pollution. However, we refuse to treat science only as a means to a practical end. Rather, we center the joy of inquiry and celebrate discovery as an end in and of itself. As we do our work, we seek to learn and to facilitate the learning of others.