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Journal Articles

Dortch and Patel, (2017) Black Undergraduate Women and Their Sense of Belonging in STEM at Predominantly White Institutions. NASPA Journal About Women in Higher Education 10(4):1-14 DOI:10.1080/19407882.2017.1331854

Because little work exists on the sense of belonging focusing on just Black undergraduate women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), especially at highly selective predominantly white institutions (PWIs), this study takes a phenomenological approach to understand the lived experiences of Black undergraduate women in STEM by exploring how racial and gendered microaggressions influence how three African American women majoring in the sciences experience sense of belonging at PWIs. A phenomenological inductive analysis was used to compile the research findings, which indicated that racial and gender discrimination, isolation, marginalization, and alienation resulting from microaggressions occurred. Implications for inclusive practices are discussed. 

Lee, M.J., Collins, J.D., Harwood, S.A. et al. (2020) “If you aren’t White, Asian or Indian, you aren’t an engineer”: racial microaggressions in STEM education. IJ STEM Ed 7, 48. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-020-00241-4 

Race and gender disparities remain a challenge in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. We introduce campus racial climate as a framework for conceptualizing the role of racial microaggressions (RMAs) as a contributing factor to the lack of representation of domestic students of color in STEM programs on college campuses. We analyze the experiences of students of color in STEM majors who have faced RMAs at the campus, academic, and peer levels. We draw from an online survey of more than 4800 students of color attending a large public university in the USA. The STEM major subsample is made up of 1688 students of color. The study estimates a series of Poisson regressions to examine whether one’s race, gender, or class year can be used to predict the likelihood of the regular occurrence of microaggressions. We also use interview data to further understand the challenges faced by STEM students of color. 

McGee, E. O. (2020). Interrogating Structural Racism in STEM Higher Education. Educational Researcher, 49(9), 633–644. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X20972718 

The racialized structure of STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) higher education maintains gross inequities that are illustrative of structural racism, which both informs and is reinforced by discriminatory beliefs, policies, values, and distribution of resources. Thus, an examination into structural racism in STEM is needed to expose the marginalization of underrepresented groups in STEM and to improve understanding of the STEM policies, practices, and procedures that allow the foundation of racism to remain intact. I argue that, even at the top of the education hierarchy, Black STEM doctorate students and PhD degree holders consistently endure the racist residue of higher education institutions and STEM employers. Thus, this manuscript also discusses how universities institutionalize diversity mentoring programs designed mostly to fix (read “assimilate”) underrepresented students of color while ignoring or minimizing the role of the STEM departments in creating racially hostile work and educational spaces. I argue that, without a critical examination of the structural racism omnipresent in the STEM, progress in racially diversifying STEM will continue at a snail’s pace. 

Miles, M.L., Brockman, A.J. and Naphan‐Kingery, D.E. (2020) ‘Invalidated identities: The disconfirming effects of racial microaggressions on Black doctoral students in STEM’, Journal of research in science teaching, 57(10), pp. 1608–1631. doi:10.1002/tea.21646.

Black students face repeated racial microaggressions that may challenge their mental health and academic performance in engineering doctoral programs. Researchers attribute this to stereotypes and institutional climates that juxtapose their STEM and racial identities as incongruent. In this article, we analyzed the perceptions of environmental, behavioral, and verbal racial microaggressions of 33 Black doctoral students and postdocs, with a focus on their interactions with non‐Black peers. Data were collected through semi‐structured interviews with Black doctoral students from 11 Predominantly White Institutions in the United States. To analyze the experiences of our participants, we utilized two theoretical frameworks: Racial microaggressions and identity nonverification. Across the interviews, participants described various forms of racial microaggressions that greatly challenged their sense of belonging and identities as engineers. This research affirms the need to develop initiatives at the departmental and institutional levels to encourage more inclusive spaces for diverse students in STEM doctoral programs and to combat the types of exclusionary practices found in this study. 

Rainey, K., Dancy, M., Mickelson, R. et al. A descriptive study of race and gender differences in how instructional style and perceived professor care influence decisions to major in STEM. IJ STEM Ed 6, 6 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-019-0159-2 

Background

Women and students of color are widely underrepresented in the majority of STEM fields. In order to investigate this underrepresentation, we interviewed over 200 male and female college seniors, primarily women and people of color, who either majored in STEM or started but dropped a STEM major. Here, we focus on one section of the longer interview that focused on students’ perceptions of professor care as well as perceived and preferred instruction style. Additionally, we look at correlations between professor care, course interactivity, and sense of belonging. In our analysis, we examine student responses through the lens of gender, race, and their intersections.

Results

We found that white women perceived their STEM professors cared about them and their learning the most while women of color reported the least perceived care. Notably, men, regardless of race, reported similar perceptions of professor care. We found that students commonly report their STEM courses were lecture-based but say they would prefer more active approaches. In particular, we found that women who left STEM majors reported more lecture-based instruction while stating the highest preference for active learning environments. We found that perceiving their professors cared was related to a greater sense of belonging in STEM. Additionally, we found that students who reported active classrooms also reported more professor care in their STEM field.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that active teaching environments may positively impact students’ sense of belonging and desire to continue in STEM and that this impact may be higher for underrepresented students.

Rainey, K., Dancy, M., Mickelson, R. et al. Race and gender differences in how sense of belonging influences decisions to major in STEM. IJ STEM Ed 5, 10 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-018-0115-6 

Background

Women and students of color are widely underrepresented in most STEM fields. In order to investigate this underrepresentation, we interviewed 201 college seniors, primarily women and people of color, who either majored in STEM or started but dropped a STEM major. Here we discuss one section of the longer interview that focused on students’ sense of belonging, which has been found to be related to retention. In our analysis, we examine the intersections of race and gender with students’ sense of belonging, a topic largely absent from the current literature.

Results

We found that white men were most likely to report a sense of belonging whereas women of color were the least likely. Further, we found that representation within one’s STEM sub-discipline, namely biology versus the physical sciences, impacts sense of belonging for women. Four key factors were found to contribute to sense of belonging for all students interviewed: interpersonal relationships, perceived competence, personal interest, and science identity.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that students who remain in STEM majors report a greater sense of belonging than those who leave STEM. Additionally, we found that students from underrepresented groups are less likely to feel they belong. These findings highlight structural and cultural features of universities, as well as STEM curricula and pedagogy, that continue to privilege white males.

Sleeter, C.E. (2017) ‘Critical Race Theory and the Whiteness of Teacher Education’, Urban education (Beverly Hills, Calif.), 52(2), pp. 155–169. doi:10.1177/0042085916668957.

This article uses three tenets of critical race theory to critique the common pattern of teacher education focusing on preparing predominantly White cohorts of teacher candidates for racially and ethnically diverse students. The tenet of interest convergence asks how White interests are served through incremental steps. The tenet of color blindness prompts asking how structures that seem neutral, such as teacher testing, reinforce Whiteness and White interests. The tenet of experiential knowledge prompts asking whose voices are being heard. The article argues that much about teacher education can be changed, offering suggestions that derive from these tenets. 

Books

Adichie, C.N. (2014) We should all be feminists. London: Fourth Estate.

What does 'feminism' mean today? That is the question at the heart of this personal, eloquently-argued essay by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the award-winning author of 'Americanah' and 'Half of a Yellow Sun'. A personal and powerful essay from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the bestselling author of Americanah and Half of a Yellow Sun.`I would like to ask that we begin to dream about and plan for a different world. A fairer world. A world of happier men and happier women who are truer to themselves. And this is how to start: we must raise our daughters differently. We must also raise our sons differently.' What does "feminism" mean today? In this personal, eloquently argued essay - adapted from her much-admired Tedx talk of the same name - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie offers readers a unique definition of feminism for the twenty-first century, one rooted in inclusion and awareness. Drawing extensively on her own experiences and her deep understanding of the often masked realities of sexual politics, here is one remarkable author's exploration of what it means to be a woman now - an of-the-moment rallying cry for why we should all be feminists. 

Bates, L. (2016) Everyday sexism. First U.S. edition. New York: Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Griffin.

After experiencing a series of escalating sexist incidents, Laura Bates started the everyday sexism project and has gone on to write 'a pioneering analysis of modern day misogyny' (Telegraph).

After an astounding response from the wide range of stories that came pouring in from all over the world, the project quickly became one of the biggest social media success stories of the internet.

From being harassed and wolf-whistled at on the street, to discrimination in the workplace and serious sexual assault, it is clear that sexism had become normalised. But Bates inspires women to lead a real change and writes this 'extremely powerful book that could, and should, win hearts and minds right across the spectrum' (Financial Times).

Boakye J (2022)‘I Heard What You Said: reflections of a Black school teacher’. Picador.

Brutally honest, frequently funny and completely unafraid to call out some of the most pressing issues of our times, I Heard What You Said is Jeffrey Boakye's clear vision of how we dismantle racism in the classroom and do better by all our students in future.

Told through the many surprising and often challenging questions and assumptions that he has had to field in and around the classroom, Boakye's sharp analysis offers and unforgettable insight into what it's like to occupy a space that isn't built for you. As someone from outside looking in, he shares his perspective on the real experiences of black teachers -and all students -in our schools today.

Criado-Perez, C. (2019) Invisible women : exposing data bias in a world designed for men. London: Chatto & Windus.

Imagine a world where your phone is too big for your hand, where your doctor prescribes a drug that is wrong for your body, where in a car accident you are 47% more likely to be seriously injured, where every week the countless hours of work you do are not recognised or valued.If any of this sounds familiar, chances are that you're a woman.Invisible Women shows us how, in a world largely built for and by men, we are systematically ignoring half the population. It exposes the gender data gap - a gap in our knowledge that is at the root of perpetual, systemic discrimination against women, and that has created a pervasive but invisible bias with a profound effect on women's lives.From government policy and medical research, to technology, workplaces, urban planning and the media, Invisible Women reveals the biased data that excludes women.Award-winning campaigner and writer Caroline Criado Perez brings together for the first time an impressive range of case studies, stories and new research from across the world that illustrate the hidden ways in which women are forgotten, and the impact this has on their health and well-being. In making the case for change, this powerful and provocative book will make you see the world anew. `A brilliant expos' GuardianWinner of the Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize 2019Winner of the Readers' Choice Books Are My Bag Award 2019Winner of the FT & McKinsey Business Book of the Year 2019The Times Current Affairs Book of the Year 2019 

Dabiri, E. (2021) What white people can do next: From Allyship to Coalition

We need to talk about racial injustice in a different way: one that builds on the revolutionary ideas of the past and forges new connections.

In this incisive, radical and practical essay, Emma Dabiri -acclaimed author of Don't Touch My Hair -draws on years of reserach and personal experience to challenge us to create meaningful, lasting change.

Eddo-Lodge, R. (2018) Why I'm no longer talking to white people about race. Expanded edition. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.

In February, 2014, Reni Eddo-Lodge wrote about her frustration with the way discussions of race and racism in Britain were constantly being led by those who weren't affected by it. She posted the piece on her blog, and gave it the title: 'Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People about Race'. Her powerful, passionate words hit a nerve. The post went viral, and comments flooded in from others desperate to speak up about their own, similar experiences. Galvanised by this response, she decided to dig into the source of these feelings; this clear hunger for an open discussion. The result is a searing, illuminating, absolutely necessary exploration of what it is to be a person of colour in Britain today. 

Faye, S. and OverDrive, Inc., distributor (2021) The transgender issue : an argument for justice. London: Penguin Books.

Trans people in Britain today have become a culture war 'issue'. Despite making up less than one per cent of the country's population, they are the subjects of a toxic and increasingly polarized 'debate' which generates reliable controversy for newspapers and talk shows. This media frenzy conceals a simple fact: that we are having the wrong conversation, a conversation in which trans people themselves are reduced to a talking point and denied a meaningful voice. In this powerful new book, Shon Faye reclaims the idea of the 'transgender issue' to uncover the reality of what it means to be trans in a transphobic society. In doing so, she provides a compelling, wide-ranging analysis of trans lives from youth to old age, exploring work, family, housing, healthcare, the prison system and trans participation in the LGBTQ+ and feminist communities, in contemporary Britain and beyond. The Transgender Issue is a landmark work that signals the beginning of a new, healthier conversation about trans life. It is a manifesto for change, and a call for justice and solidarity between all marginalized people and minorities. Trans liberation, as Faye sees it, goes to the root of what our society is and what it could be; it offers the possibility of a more just, free and joyful world for all of us. 

Joseph-Salisbury, R. and Connelly, L. (2021) Anti-Racist Scholar-activism. 1st ed. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

This book focuses on anti-racist scholar-activism in the margins of universities in the United Kingdom. The book raises questions about the future of Higher Education in the UK, and shines a spotlight on those academics who are working within, and often against, their institutions. Through the accounts of participants, the authors argue that another university is not only possible, but is essential. Working towards a 'manifesto' for scholar-activism in the book's conclusion, the book explores a range of concepts that might be thought to guide scholar-activism, including 'reparative theft', 'working in service', 'digging where you stand', and 'constructive complicity'. Throughout, the authors show 'scholar-activism' to be something that is complex and multifaceted, and better thought of as a form of practice, rather than an identity that can be attained. 

Oluo, I. (2020) So you want to talk about race. New York, NY: Seal Press. Available in the Information Commons.

Ijeoma Oluo offers a contemporary, accessible take on the racial landscape in America, addressing head-on such issues as privilege, police brutality, intersectionality, micro-aggressions, the Black Lives Matter movement and the 'N' word. 

Reid, N  (2021). The good ally. London: Mira.

`I invite you to be courageous and get comfortable with being uncomfortable, because any discomfort you feel is temporary and pales in comparison to what black and brown people often have to experience on a daily basis.Are you ready?Let's get started, we have work to do.'With social injustices rising in frequency, and an increase in far-right movements around the world, the rise in hate against "the other" is palpable. There is an urgent need to change so that we no longer repeat patterns of behaviour that have led us to where we are.The Good Ally is the answer to `what next?' It's a book for those wanting to become better allies, for those who are hungry to expand their knowledge and understanding of systematic racism, for those who not only want to be able to better recognise both subtle and overt forms of racism in action, but who want to know what to do about it.Full of punch, humour and hope, and packed with examples and anecdotes - some toe-curling, some blood-boiling - The Good Ally will help us unpick the myriad issues getting in the way of better inclusion, and will shows us how - with a bit of self-interrogation and a lot of courage - we can weaponise our privilege and be part of a powerful change. 

Saad, L.F. (2020) Me and white supremacy : combat racism, change the world, and become a good ancestor. [Place of publication not identified]: Sourcebooks. 

Me and White Supremacy takes readers on a 28-day journey, complete with journal prompts, to do the necessary and vital work that can ultimately lead to improving race relations. Updated and expanded from the original workbook (downloaded by nearly 100,000 people), this critical text helps you take the work deeper by adding more historical and cultural contexts, sharing moving stories and anecdotes, and including expanded definitions, examples, and further resources, giving you the language to understand racism, and to dismantle your own biases, whether you are using the book on your own, with a book club, or looking to start family activism in your own home. This book will walk you step-by-step through the work of examining: Examining your own white privilege What allyship really means Anti-blackness, racial stereotypes, and cultural appropriation Changing the way that you view and respond to race How to continue the work to create social change Awareness leads to action, and action leads to change. 

Reports and Policy

The Royal Academy of Engineering: Cultural Inclusivity in Engineering. March 2023.

University of Sheffield Race Equality Strategy and Action Plan

University of Sheffield Disability Equality Strategy and Action Plan

University of Reading The Student Experiences in STEM Report Minority Ethnic Students in Higher Education