Counterspaces for women of color in STEM higher education: Marginal and central spaces for persistence and success

Abstract

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.

#BlackGirlMagic: The identity conceptualization of Black women in undergraduate STEM education

“…Acknowledging both sides of the vulnerability spectrum presents a more holistic point of view regarding Black women’s identity in STEM. Additionally, with previous scholars sharing that Black women persist in the face of their opposition (e.g., Charleston et al, ; Espinosa, ; Ong, ; Ong et al, ), we find that our participants specifically articulate their intersectional Black woman identity to mean resilience and persistence. Their expressed meaning of their identity demonstrates a potential relationship between their race and gender and their STEM persistence, that not only supports the notion of their intersectional Black woman identity as being protective and even promotive of their STEM engagement, but also provides evidence for the need to further explore the relationship between a positive‐protective identity expression and continued STEM engagement for Black women.…”

“…Research related to Black females’ presence and engagement in STEM explore the outcome and impact of various factors like resources, representation, pedagogy, and culture on their STEM choices and experiences (Brickhouse & Potter, ; Johnson, ; Ong, ; Ong, Smith, & Ko, ). In a synthetic review of research on females in science education, not specifically Black females, Brotman and Moore () highlight four different waves of research involving females and their pursuit of and learning science.…”

Black girls speak STEM: Counterstories of informal and formal learning experiences

“…Howard‐Hamilton () encourages the use of counterspaces as a conceptual framework for Black girls and women because they provide shelter from the “daily torrent of microaggressions” (p. 23) and can be fostered through positive support systems, which include family, friends, community members, and organizations. Scholars have recently explored the importance of having counterspaces within STEM education (Ashford, Wilson, King, & Nyachae, ; Lane, ; Ong, Smith, & Ko, ; Smith, ; Wilson & King, ). Ong et al (), explored the functionality of counterspaces for women of color in STEM higher education and reified the need to be deliberate in the creation of counterspaces at the center of STEM, rather than women of color being forced to create those spaces at the margins.…”

“…Scholars have recently explored the importance of having counterspaces within STEM education (Ashford, Wilson, King, & Nyachae, ; Lane, ; Ong, Smith, & Ko, ; Smith, ; Wilson & King, ). Ong et al (), explored the functionality of counterspaces for women of color in STEM higher education and reified the need to be deliberate in the creation of counterspaces at the center of STEM, rather than women of color being forced to create those spaces at the margins. Their findings also indicate that counterspaces are not limited to physical settings but can also be conceptual and ideological in nature.…”

Advancing Theoretical Frameworks for Intersectional Research on Women in STEM

“…Individuals who endure systematic disadvantages associated with multiple marginalized identity dimensions such as racism, sexism, and classism, for example, are more likely to experience poor academic performance and may ultimately make the decision to leave STEM disciplines for reasons that have nothing to do with their capabilities in math and science (Gayles & Ampaw, ; Reyes, ). It is irresponsible to assume that the same factors that matter to access, persistence, and retention for students in the aggregate are the same for all students across race, gender, and class (Ong, Smith, & Ko, ). As such, a better understanding of what matters for women of color relative to college choice and selecting and persisting in STEM majors is warranted given what we know about the potentially hostile climate underrepresented women commonly experience in these disciplines.…”