The term "mentor" comes from ancient Greek mythology, where it refers to a wise advisor who guides the hero through his journey. Today, mentors provide guidance and support for individuals pursuing professional development, personal growth, or career advancement. In academia, mentors are often senior scholars who work with junior colleagues to help them navigate the field and achieve their goals.
Traditional mentoring models can perpetuate power imbalances, privilege certain perspectives, and exclude marginalized voices. This is why participatory ethics offers an alternative approach that prioritizes inclusivity, transparency, and mutual growth.
Participatory ethics is a framework developed by feminist scholar Susan Sontag, which emphasizes collaboration, dialogue, and shared responsibility between mentors and mentees. It rejects hierarchies and promotes reciprocity, cooperation, and respect. According to Sontag, this model allows both parties to learn from each other and engage in meaningful exchanges that challenge dominant narratives and promote social justice. By embracing participatory ethics, mentors and mentees can create a more equitable relationship based on trust, openness, and trustworthiness.
In terms of research, participatory ethics encourages mentors and mentees to explore together the questions they want to answer, collectively evaluate evidence, and share findings. Mentors can offer guidance and resources but avoid imposing their own agenda. Mentees should be allowed to propose ideas, ask questions, and shape the direction of the project. This requires active listening, empathy, and genuine curiosity about others' experiences and perspectives. By sharing authority and decision-making power, mentors and mentees can build a relationship rooted in mutual learning and understanding.
Participatory ethics requires transparency and accountability, so mentors and mentees must regularly check in with each other about progress, challenges, and opportunities for improvement. They should also clarify roles, expectations, and boundaries before starting any project. If necessary, they may need to renegotiate these agreements over time. Honest communication is essential because it prevents misunderstandings, resentment, or frustration. Both parties must also ensure that their work reflects diverse voices and perspectives, including those who are often marginalized in academia due to gender, race, class, sexuality, disability, etc.
Mentors and mentees should provide feedback and support to help each other grow professionally and personally.
Participatory ethics offers an inclusive and transformative approach to mentorship by prioritizing shared knowledge, collaboration, and social justice. It encourages all participants to engage in critical reflection, self-reflection, and mutual growth. As such, it can reshape academic culture by promoting respectful relationships based on reciprocity and cooperation.
How can participatory ethics reshape the mentor-mentee relationship in research to prioritize inclusivity, transparency, and mutual growth?
Inclusivity refers to creating an environment where everyone feels welcome and accepted. Participatory ethics emphasizes that all members of society should have equal access to opportunities and resources. Mentorship is a powerful tool for promoting inclusion by providing support and guidance to individuals from underrepresented groups who may not otherwise have access to them. By prioritizing inclusivity, mentors can help mentees develop their skills and build confidence.