RESEARCH Business Labor

DISCRIMINATION
Racial, gender inequities documented in architectural profession

Melissa Mitchell, Arts Editor
(217) 333-5491; melissa@uiuc.edu

9/1/2001

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In some ways, the architectural profession is a lot like a ham sandwich – without the hot, spicy mustard – according to University of Illinois architecture professor Kathryn Anthony.

"In striking contrast to the other arts, architecture remains all too homogeneous – too male, too pale," Anthony notes in a new book, "Designing for Diversity: Gender, Race and Ethnicity in the Architectural Profession" (UI Press). "Imagine the world of popular music without Louis Armstrong, Michael Jackson, Julio Iglezias, or even Madonna. Imagine the culinary arts without Thai coconut soup, spaghetti a la Bolognese or enchiladas verdes. By comparison, the architectural world – for the most part – is just a plain old ham sandwich."

Anthony's book, based largely on interviews and surveys with more than 400 architects from throughout the United States, examines how women, people of color and – to a lesser extent, gay and lesbian architects – have fared in the profession compared with white, male counterparts.

"Designing for Diversity" is believed to be the most comprehensive study to date to document gender and racial discrimination within the profession. While magazine polls of architects have identified similar problems in the past, none have delved so deeply into the issues, said Anthony, whose survey included nearly 400 items and 11 pages of questions.

The resulting book is not just a recitation of facts and figures, however. Interspersed among the statistics are anecdotal tales of discriminatory practices and examples of how women and persons of color have struggled to succeed. "It also offers ways to remedy the ills of the profession," Anthony said.

Among the research findings documented in the book:

Female architects employed full-time earn significantly less than their male counterparts, regardless of the women’s years of experience on the job.

Sixty-eight percent of the respondents have seen or heard about gender discrimination in an architectural office, and 44 percent have experienced it.

Forty-two percent have seen or heard about racial discrimination in an architectural office.

Twenty-seven percent have quit their architectural jobs because of unfair treatment.

Many had horrendous experiences in architectural offices. For instance, many well-qualified female architects watched their male subordinates become their superiors almost overnight.

Anthony said her goal in doing the research and drawing attention to the profession's failings is "to move these issues from the back burner – where they've been for a long time – to the front. If people take to heart even a small portion of what's in the book, we could begin to see the transformation of the architectural profession – and the built enviornment that affects us all."