Barriers to Career Success for Minority Researchers in the Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

The United States falls short in the diversity of its scientific workforce. While the underrepresentation of minority researchers in the behavioral sciences has been a concern for several decades, policy and training initiatives have been only marginally successful in increasing their number. Diversity plays a critical role in our nation’s capacity for research and innovation, yet current approaches prove inadequate. The current study used a qualitative approach to investigate the institutional, cultural, skills, and personal career barriers faced by minority researchers in the behavioral sciences. Data were collected from a select group of minority researchers (defined for this study as women and/or people of color) who attended a 3-and-one-half-day intensive workshop developed specifically to address career barriers. Seventy-two percent (n = 43) encountered workplace barriers relating to race/ethnicity; 26% reported barriers related to gender. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Career experiences of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields: A systematic literature review

“…Women working in STEM fields acknowledged their struggle in simultaneously managing the demands at work and at home (Allen et al, ; Duberley & Cohen, ; Kameny et al, ). As a woman in STEM, one participant attributed her struggle to “being a very involved mother of two young kids and still wanting to be a 'rising star' at work”—the trajectory she had before marriage and family (Kameny et al, , p. 55). Work and family issues were identified as career barriers to women working in IT (Orser et al, ), with challenges including taking care of children and the elderly while dealing with the pressing demands of the job.…”

“…We were also able to identify institutional variables that either enabled or inhibited the STEM women's career progression, including gender discrimination and lack of career progression policies. The remaining ten studies did not mention any guiding theories (Aaltio & Huang, 2007;Duberley & Cohen, 2010;Ecklund, Lincoln, & Tansey, 2012;Glass, Sassler, Levitte, & Michelmore, 2013;Hatmaker, 2013;Kameny et al, 2014;Orser, Riding, & Stanley, 2012;San Miguel & Kim, 2015 Select Search Terms: • "women," "woman," "female," "gender", "science" "technology," "engineering," "math," or "STEM,", "career" or "career development", "job", "employment" or "vocation"…”

“…Women working in STEM fields acknowledged their struggle in simultaneously managing the demands at work and at home (Allen et al, 2006;Duberley & Cohen, 2010;Kameny et al, 2014). As a woman in STEM, one participant attributed her struggle to "being a very involved mother of two young kids and still wanting to be a 'rising star' at work"-the trajectory she had before marriage and family (Kameny et al, 2014, p. 55).…”

Creating a New Mindset: Building Lasting Supports for Minority Junior Faculty

“…The significant message of this study is to emphasize "situated" within the Situated Learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991), that "everyone can to some degree be considered a 'newcomer' to the future of a changing community" (p. 117) and can contribute to "the sustained character of developmental cycles of communities of practice" (p. 121). Kameny et al, (2014) identified four kinds of barriers to success for minority faculty researchers in the behavioral sciences: institutional, cultural, skills and personal. Institutional barriers include lack of mentors and support.…”

Developing scientists in Hispanic substance use and health disparities research through the creation of a national mentoring network

“…Nevertheless, feedback from the NHSN has indicated that these innovative career development activities are highly acceptable and feasible. While continued attention and funding are needed to promote effective and sustainable mentoring, networking, and career development for many groups of minority scientists (Kameny et al, 2014; Kosoko-Lasaki, Sonnino, & Voytko, 2006), we believe that this evidence-based and culturally relevant model holds great promise for other groups focused on increasing the representation of racial/ethnic minority scientists in health disparities research. Ultimately, more equitable representation of diverse communities across scientific disciplines will be critical to addressing substance use and health problems that disproportionately affect United States minority populations.…”