Do what I say, not what I do: increasing the representation of minorities in the construction sector

Paper in proceeding, 2022

The minorities are still underrepresented in the Swedish construction sector despite initiatives launched to answer a growing demand for workforce. Whereas many studies have focused on the minorities, we propose here to look at how the majorities maintain their dominance in the case of a civil engineering education. To do so, we build on the concept of privilege accounting for the dynamics which marginalize some while benefitting others. Drawing on a mixed method approach, the empirical material of this qualitative research includes the reviewing of 120 individual assignments of MSc students in construction management, 16 interviews of these students, and the authors’ teaching experience. The preliminary results show a blindness towards one’s own privilege, and an overfocus on the differences attributed to the minorities. The paper contributes to a wider understanding of the social dynamic of discrimination within sector.