review nearly forty years of scholarship on the postsecondary educational experiences of women of color in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Their synthesis of 116 works of scholarship provides insight into the factors that influence the retention, persistence, and achievement of women of color in STEM fields. They argue that the current underrepresentation of women of color in STEM fields represents an unconscionable underutilization of our nation's human capital and raises concerns of equity in the U.S. educational and employment systems. They refute the pervasive myth that underrepresented minority women are less interested in pursuing STEM fields and then present a complex portrait of the myriad factors that influence the undergraduate and graduate experiences of women of color in STEM fields. Finally, the authors discuss the policy implications of their findings and highlight gaps in the literature where further research is needed, providing a knowledge base for educators, policy makers, and researchers to continue the mission of advancing the status of women of color in STEM. Inside the Double Bind ong, wright, espinosa, and orfield Hispanic women 6.86 % U.S. population ages, 25-24 (2006) % STEM doctoral degrees awarded

Counterspaces in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are often considered "safe spaces" at the margins for groups outside the mainstream of STEM education. The prevailing culture and structural manifestations in STEM have traditionally privileged norms of success that favor competitive, individualistic, and solitary practices-norms associated with White male scientists. This privilege extends to structures that govern learning and mark progress in STEM education that have marginalized groups that do not reflect the gender, race, or ethnicity conventionally associated with STEM mainstream success, thus necessitating spaces in which the effects of marginalization may be countered. Women of color is one such marginalized group. This article explores the struggles of women of color that threaten their persistence in STEM education and how those struggles lead them to search out or create counterspaces. It also examines the ways that counterspaces operate for women of color in STEM higher education, particularly how they function as havens from isolation and microaggressions. Using a framework of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and intersectionality theory and drawing on interview data from 39 women of color about their STEM higher education experiences, we describe five ways in which counterspaces operate: in peer-to-peer relationships; mentoring relationships; national STEM diversity conferences; STEM and non-STEM campus student groups; and STEM departments. Whereas most research has discussed counterspaces as racially or ethnically homogeneous social grou'ps of peers at the margins, our research found that counterspaces vary in terms of the race/ethnicity, gender, and power levels of participants. We found that counterspaces can be physical settings, as well as conceptual and ideological. Additionally, we identified counterspaces both at the margins and at the center of STEM departments. Thus, our research expands the existing understanding of the types and functions of counterspaces and broadens the definition of what locations can be and should be considered counterspaces.

Most research on underrepresented members in science focuses on gender or on race/ethnicity, ignoring intersections embodied by women of color. This article, which draws from a qualitative, longitudinal study, addresses this gap by focusing on ten minority female physics students who negotiate three incongruent realms: field of study, gender, and race/ethnicity. It examines ways in which these students sense that their belonging and competence in science are questioned because their bodies do not conform to prevalent images of the "ordinary" white male physicist. To persevere in physics, they engage in bodily projects of (1) approximating ordinariness through fragmentation, which entails using strategies of racial or gendered "passing," or (2) rejecting these practices in favor of multiplicity, which entails employing stereotype manipulation or performances of superiority. By highlighting accounts of individuals who persevere in the elite physics field, this article provides insight into how university departments should reform to promote more women and underrepresented minorities in science.

BackgroundTo address social disparities and generate an innovative workforce, engineering higher education should provide learning environments that benefit students from all backgrounds. However, because engineering programs are not enrolling or retaining women of color at demographic parity, a better understanding of these students' experiences is needed to develop effective interventions.PurposeThis study analyzes research on women of color in undergraduate engineering education to determine what influences their experiences, participation, and advancement. We identify challenges to and strategies for persistence and present recommendations for engineering institutions to create interventions that support women of color and mitigate institutional inequities.Scope/MethodUsing the snowballing method, we identified 65 empirical studies published between 1999 and 2015 that met the criteria for this review. These studies represented qualitative, mixed‐methods, and quantitative methodologies from various fields. We conducted a systematic thematic synthesis, informed by frames of intersectionality, critical race theory, and community cultural wealth.ConclusionsWomen of color use navigational strategies to address the social pain of race and gender inequity in engineering education. Institutions should take responsibility for generating a sense of belonging for women of color and provide social and structural supports that increase self‐efficacy, address social pain, and improve retention.

The National Science Foundation recently recognized that career–life balance in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) may present some unique challenges for women of color compared with their White and/or male counterparts, thus negatively impacting retention and advancement for a minority demographic that has long been underrepresented in STEM (National Science Foundation, 2011). However, there is a dearth of literature on this topic. This article advances our understanding of the nature of these challenges by analyzing career–life balance issues for three underrepresented minority women and the impact of these issues on their career trajectories. We explore the experiences of these women, at different stages of pursuing STEM academia, as they encounter career–life balance issues. Using the approach of narrative inquiry, we describe the interplay between domestic realities (e.g., social life, elder care, pregnancy) and the ideal worker norm, a prevalent gendered standard within STEM of pure dedication to scientific work. Using the lens of cumulative disadvantage we examine how the intersection of racial/ethnic and gender identities generated a set of experiences for each participant that positioned her outside that norm, resulting in significant obstacles (e.g., exclusion from professional networks, lack of support, questioning of competence). We describe how continual tension with the ideal worker norm impacted these women’s career trajectories, illustrate how their experiences of career–life balance may be different from those who more closely embody the norm, and detail issues that need to be addressed to increase the participation, retention, and advancement of women of color in STEM academia.