Engineering Identity Implications on the Retention of Black Women in the Engineering Industry

Board 39: The In/Authentic Experiences of Black Engineers

“…Intersectionality of race and gender have significant impacts for Black females in the workplace. This double jeopardy, or double-bind, has been studied by various researchers [18]- [20]. As an analytic tool, intersectionality [21]- [23] is used to examine the gap left by feminist and antiracist critique and the failure to examine the multidimensional discrimination experienced by Black women.…”

Critical Theories for Unmasking the Personal and Structural Racialized Experiences of Engineers

“…In reviewing the literature on studies within engineering education that focused on race, various frameworks have been used (e.g. identity [15], [16], self-efficacy [17], tokenization [18], and inclusion/exclusion [19], [20]). While these perspectives are valuable, we suggest other critical race frameworks can be used to reveal aspects of racism in engineering.…”

“…Many authors have pointed out the tensions created when Blacks are forced to function in a cultural setting created by Whites [10], [15], [16], [19], [27], [28], [29], [30], [31]. Anzaldúa described the masks, or differing personalities, that people of color have worn by stating "the masks, las máscaras, we are compelled to wear, drive a wedge between our intersubjective personhood and the persona we present to the world" [6, p. xv].…”

“…Research has demonstrated the ways the dominant White male culture of engineering leads to cultural mismatch, identity conflict, compartmentalization of work and social lives, diminished job satisfaction, and psychological stress for Blacks [15], [16], [19], [29]. Wendy Faulkner's concept of in/authenticity provides a means to understand individual racism in engineering.…”

“…In reviewing the literature, we note that socially-constructed beliefs and subsequent behaviorand vice versawithin engineering lead to cultural mismatch, identity conflict, compartmentalization of work and social lives, diminished job satisfaction, and psychological stress [15], [16], [19], [29]. The individual impact of racism can be assessed through the experiences that lead to in/authenticity.…”