Qualitative inequalities research for the archaeology sector

CIfA is delighted to announce that we have secured funding from Historic England to take forward qualitative research exploring inequalities in the archaeology sector workforce.

The research will take place in the autumn and will include workshops, surveys and one-to-one conversations exploring individuals' experiences of working in archaeology, or of looking for work in the sector. The research will explore both barriers to entry and progression within the profession, and the reasons why people are attracted to careers in archaeology. The findings will help CIfA understand how it can improve the equality of access to careers in archaeology through its requirements and frameworks.

There is a substantial body of evidence that the demographics of the archaeological workforce do not match the demographics of the UK workforce as a whole. However, we need better evidence to understand what the causes of this might be, what the solutions are, and what CIfA and its partners can do.

We are delighted that Historic England has agreed to support this important research, which will be carried out on behalf of CIfA by Cultural Associates Oxford (CAO). CAO will be recruiting participants to the research from September onwards and inviting everyone in the sector to share their own experiences through surveys and social media. We will be sharing more information about how you can get involved through our regular mailings. For more information, please contact Alex Llewellyn or visit our project page.

You can read more about CIfAs work on equality, diversity and inclusion here.