AJ race diversity survey early findings: ‘Racism within the profession is insidious’

The AJ recently teamed up with Blueprint for All to launch the survey, gathering the latest evidence on race diversity within architecture.

The results form part of our increased focus on the barriers to entering and progressing through the architectural profession.

Studies have shown how, proportionally, aspiring architects from ethnic minority backgrounds are more likely not to make it through to qualification compared with their white counterparts (see RIBA Education survey 2021-22). The AJ wants to both examine why this might be happening and to continue to shine a spotlight on where the profession could do better.

The survey seeks to pull together the hard data and personal testimonies to help us work with the industry to take the vital next steps towards equality.

The initial results of the AJ's 2023 survey, worryingly, reiterate the conclusions from earlier questionnaires: that racism in the profession remains commonplace.

In fact a huge 78 per cent of those from ethnic minority backgrounds thought that their race created barriers to career progression in architecture.

The early data also pointed to a gulf in perceptions. Around 27 per cent of people from ethnic minority backgrounds who completed the survey believed racism was widespread in architecture, compared to 16 per cent of the white respondents.

Meanwhile, although 80 per cent of white respondents said they had not heard any racist language being used in their workplace within the last year, the picture for ethnic minorities is very different. In the 12 months before taking the survey, 42 per cent of those from other than white backgrounds had directly or indirectly experienced racist language.

One said: ‘The director at my workplace was racially abusive towards others and indirectly towards me.’

What’s more, 38 per cent of respondents from ethnic minority backgrounds reported they had personally experienced some level of racism.

One respondent said: ‘Racism within the profession is insidious and systemic. Even if I have never heard a racist comment at work, the fact that I have never worked with another Black or ethnic minority person in my five years employment as an architectural assistant, suggests racism pervades in other forms. Unconscious bias, education systems, colonial practice.’

Nearly half of UK-based ethnic minority respondents (45 per cent) would not recommend architecture as a career, compared to just under a third (31 per cent) of white respondents.

The online questionnaire covers both life in practice and experiences during architectural education. It comes three years after the AJ’s previous investigation into these issues.

The latest survey looks more closely at all career stages to see whether attitudes have shifted. With enough responses, we will be able to break down the results more forensically and, if the data allows, more specifically in terms of ethnicity.

The findings will also look at suggested changes and what could be done to make the profession more equitable.

Sonia Watson, chief executive of project partner Blueprint for All – the national charity committed to social inclusion – said that many practices were ‘listening and taking clear action aimed at making the profession more inclusive’ and that there was more ‘understanding and determination to affect change than there has ever been’.

But she added: ‘To achieve meaningful change we need to understand what works and track the impact of the measures taken. So it will be more vital than ever this year to conduct the race and diversity survey.’

The AJ survey is open to everyone, regardless of race or ethnicity, and will ask you questions about your background, your experiences in the industry and your response to various statements.

The AJ is planning to publish more detailed analysis of the survey this survey.