Quick reminder that doing severely biased research will not become less so when conducting the same research "with a more diverse team".

The fundamental premise of evaluating professionalism based in male and white supremacy culture is the problem. https://twitter.com/JVascSurg/status/1286831352520888320

What does "white supremacy culture" mean?

Here's a handy resource!

In particularly, this "research" is an example of "power hoarding" by policing others via "objectivity", "right to comfort", and "fear of open conflict".

https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/white-supremacy-culture-characteristics.html

This research, with its stated goals of "warning young surgeons about social medial" explicitly serves to uphold institutional and structural oppression by pointing to those who push against these oppressions as "unprofessional".

But who made those standards of "professional"?

For example, the authors considered posts on controversial topics (e.g., politics) as unprofessional. But what is the standard for controversial? And why is controversial a problem?

Because open conflict is defined as a problem. Why? It challenges existing power structures.

So let's say one puts out a tweet in support of #BlackLivesMatter - this is deemed "unprofessional".

And yet, systemic racism is foundational to the problems which vascular surgery seeks to alleviate.

Why isn't "professional" speaking out for your patients? Who decided this?

It is highly likely that the authors consider themselves to be applying objective standards.

Even if this were true (it's not), those standards were formed out of oppressive systems. And who does this benefit?

If you answered "White Men" you are correct.

And who were most of the authors? You guessed it.

If women are labeled as unprofessional for posting pictures in bikinis, women suffer and men benefit.

Even better, it's their own fault for having crossed this line.

But really, the problem here are the so-called "standards of professionalism" that find photos of doctors holding a class of wine intolerable but racist statements just fine.

As far as I can see, the only thing that clearly violates professional standards are HIPPA violations.

Warning young doctors of the dangers of violating norms which were set up to keep power in the hands of those who already have it does not benefit those young doctors.

Thus, research highlighting these "violations" only serves to perpetuate oppression.

THAT is the problem.

So no, adding more "diversity" to the team is not the answer.

The answer is to tear down systemic racism, sexism, ableism, anti-LGBTQ and all other opressive systems.

The answer is for @JVascSurg & these authors to understand how white supremacy let this paper get published.

The answer is for the journal and these authors to examine and understand how they benefit from from systems of oppression and their continuation. And then to choose to actively fight against them.

THAT is what will help young surgeons.