Changing the Mentorship Paradigm
Survey Data and Interpretations from Forensic Anthropology Practitioners
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5284461 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Allysha Winburn (0000-0002-8498-5753, University of West Florida, corresponding author), D Tallman (0000-0002-0940-279X, Boston University), Sean Tallman (0000-0001-9696-3351), Audrey Scott, Cate Bird, Cate E Bird (0000-0002-9270-1618, International Committee of the Red Cross) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Publication date | 2021-01-22 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Forensic Anthropology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2573-5020 • E-ISSN: 2573-5039 |
| Publisher | University Press of Florida (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.5744/fa.2020.4028 |
| OpenAlex | W3132522205 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
Mentorship can be defined as the person-to-person transmission of knowledge in a domain where one person has more experience than the other. Formal mentorship programs and awards have recently been implemented in the field of forensic anthropology, but the attitudes of forensic anthropologists toward mentors, protégés, and mentorship experiences have not been systematically explored. This study surveyed a sample of 123 forensic anthropology practitioners and students via 23 multiple-choice and 12 open-answer questions regarding their demographic information, opinions about mentorship, and experiences as both mentors and protégés. Results indicated that forensic anthropologists value both traditional, "top-down" mentorship interactions and "horizontal" peer-to-peer relationships with multiple mentors. Respondents emphasized the career and professionalism advice they received from their mentors, though some wished for additional guidance in social interactions and social issues. Demographic data were consistent with recent research highlighting the problematic homogeneity of the field, particularly in terms of social race. Based on the survey responses, a proposed consensus definition of forensic anthropology mentorship involves professional and personal guidance by a mentor who imparts discipline-specific, experiential knowledge, advice, and support in a way that allows a protégé to develop both professionally and personally. To enable that development in both ourselves and our colleagues-and to increase diversity and retention within our field-we recommend participation in a formal mentorship program specific to the discipline of forensic anthropology
Engineering ethics · Medical education · Mentorship · Communication in Education and Healthcare · Engineering · Higher Education Practises and Engagement · Medicine · Mentoring and Academic Development · Psychology
| Unique citing works | 5 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2021 - 2022 (2) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 5 |