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Abstract
The ways that researchers discuss POC and ethnic minority subjects in the biological sciences is integral when considering the implications of language usage around the groups being used for research. Attitude markers, presuppositions, and assertions can be utilized to understand an author’s stance on the groups being discussed and indicate what assumptions or implications are being made. In this paper I sought to explore trends in these three linguistic tools over time, from 1970-2020 in 10-year increments, in a variety of research areas related to the biological sciences. In earlier years, there was a clear usage of dated language paired with presuppositions and assertions that indicated an interest in extracting data from POC and minority groups, rather than any interest in utilizing the data to benefit the groups being studied. There was a major shift from this in the 1990’s with an increasing use of attitude markers, and presupposition and assertion use that better reflected considerations for both the research questions and the future outlook for POC and minority groups being studied. Overall, language use by researchers greatly shapes academic spaces and should be taken into account to ensure these spaces remain inclusive and ethical.
Introduction
Knowledge of people of color and minority groups in the studies of the biological sciences has been intrinsic to the discipline as a whole, especially in regards to diversifying ecological and environmental subgenres. The ways that scientists orchestrate their research articles when discussing diverse groups of people is particularly important in regards to the ethics upheld by the community as a whole. Researchers have examined linguistic patterns that are relevant to this by exploring language associated with persistent biological and medical racism, along with a shift towards a succinct authorial stance, the formation of stance and associated biases, and value arguments (Carter, 2016; Hyland & Jiang, 2016; Jones & Medina, 2021; Sawaki, 2014). Hyland and Jiang (2016) point to Atkinson’s (1999) observation of the move from the “experiencing gentleman scientist to community-generated research problems” (as cited in Hyland & Jiang, 2016, p. 270) in their discussion of orchestration trends over time, noting that there is a shift from a narrative experience to one that is more succinct. Though they note an increase in stance markers in the scientific community, particularly related to self-mentions, the implications they propose are limited. Although they identify there may be publication/foundation biases involved, these biases can further extend into racial and ethnic biases that may be upheld by certain publications, foundations, or institutions. Today, scholars recognize that there continues to be racial and ethnic biases that persist in present research (Jones & Medina, 2021). Further, language use becomes especially important when expressing one’s voice while speaking about others and can influence how an author positions themselves and the reader’s interpretation of their stance (Carter, 2014; Hyland & Jiang, 2016; Sawaki, 2016).
I will be exploring how presuppositions and assertions in the context of attitude markers in biological-anthropological research articles have changed over time, and where future implications for people of color (POC) and minority groups are being discussed in these articles. The results of this study suggest that the disciplines of the scientific community have reflected a trend towards subtle use of attitude markers and clearly defining a study group through the use of assertions, and have moved away from a heavier use of attitude markers with presuppositions about the study groups, indicating an acknowledgement of the historical contexts of biological and medical prejudices POC and minority groups being discussed have dealt with. First, I will present the key terms relevant to the search for these articles by decade. Next, I will discuss the presence of terms to describe POC or ethnic minorities in relation to presuppositions, assertions, and the appearance of attitude markers by decade and theme, and lastly, I will discuss the relevance of these findings and the potential impacts for the reader.