A life‐cycle analysis of minority underrepresentation in natural resource fields

Abstract

Racial and ethnic diversity in natural resource careers does not reflect U.S. population trends. To explore potential drivers of underrepresentation in this field, we used a life‐cycle analysis to review 55 scholarly articles to identify barriers and supports influencing career choices (i.e., personal, contextual, self‐efficacy, outcome expectations) across 4 age groups. The number of cited barriers differed significantly among age groups. Personal influences included race or ethnicity, gender, age, and perceptions or predispositions toward nature. The latter was the most cited barrier for youth. Contextual influences included social, familial, structural, and experiential, and varied significantly between age groups. Exposure to nature was the most cited contextual barrier for all groups: 59% for youth, 40% for high school, 43% for college, and 50% for career. Self‐efficacy was emphasized in studies referencing youth, high school, and college age groups, and outcome expectations were only discussed in studies of the career group. After the literature analysis, we reviewed web sites, reports, and conducted personal interviews to explore how 21 federal natural‐resource agency diversity programs address variables influencing minority recruitment. Participating agencies reported challenges recruiting individuals, ensuring funding, and creating welcoming environments for minority participants, many of whom have never experienced remote natural environments or nontraditional careers. Our analysis revealed the need for a modified Framework for Career Influences. The proposed framework combines existing theories on social career choice and minority involvement in natural resource activities, but identifies personal and contextual influences that are important for minority students, as endogenous variables that influence and are influenced by self‐efficacy and outcome expectations. © 2015 The Wildlife Society.

Formative Interests and Pathways to Natural Resources Careers Among Racial and Ethnic Minorities

“…Participants generally learned of careers late in their lives. This is consistent with findings of other studies (Adams and Merano 1998;Haynes, Jacobson, and Wald 2015). Results indicate that the majority of participants had learned of NR fields and the breadth of careers that are offered after they matriculated into college.…”

“…Studies confirm that the percentage of minorities in environmental and natural resource professions is not congruent with the racial diversity composition in the United States (Haynes, Jacobson, and Wald 2015;Kern, Kenefic, and Stout 2015). The importance of diversifying the workforce, in general, gained national attention in the 1970s, and has since motivated federal, state, and local agencies to provide solutions (Wyche and Frierson 1990).…”

Racial and ethnic differences in the students’ readiness, identity, perceptions of institutional diversity, and desire to join the environmental workforce

“…The traditional views of minorities often portray them as being stymied and overwhelmed by historical discrimination and marginalization (Foster et al 2011(Foster et al , 2013Haynes et al 2015), spending limited time outdoors, disinterested in the environment, being overly concerned with high wages, lacking knowledge of the environment, and not having the appropriate academic backgrounds to work in environmental organizations (Taylor 2007(Taylor , 2014aEnvironmental Careers Organization 1992;Foster et al 2011Foster et al , 2013.…”

Understanding the Benefits of Residential Field Courses: The Importance of Class Learning Goal Orientation and Class Belonging

“…, 1994 ). Haynes et al. (2015) present a modified Framework for Career Influences, based on the SCCT, that identifies personal and contextual influences, such as students’ perceptions of nature and exposure to nature during childhood as important variables that contribute to students pursuing careers in the natural resources.…”