Exploring the White and male culture: Investigating individual perspectives of equity and privilege in engineering education

Abstract

Background Engineering education in the United States has been accused of favoring White men at the exclusion of those traditionally underrepresented in engineering. However, contrary to the culturally responsive literature addressing approaches to “colorblindness,” engineering faculty believe they should treat all students equally. Purpose This study explored conceptions of equity and privilege present within the culture of engineering education, particularly the White male population. Method This longitudinal qualitative study investigated the experiences of one longtime engineering professor, an insider to the culture of engineering confronted with conceptions of his own privilege. We analyzed interview, focus group, and field note data to evaluate shifts in our participant's perspective while he was enrolled in a doctoral program that challenged his views of race, privilege, and equity. Results Our participant was initially opposed to conceptions of his own privilege. Through repeated challenges to his beliefs about privilege coupled with reflections on his experiences and positioning in society, his beliefs shifted toward recognizing inequities based on class and race. Conclusions In a discipline with an overrepresentation of White men, there can be resistance to addressing topics of equity and privilege. However, it is possible for engineering educators, despite their race and gender, to change their beliefs related to the culture of engineering education and to address inequities within engineering departments and classrooms.

An Intersectional Approach to Investigating Persistence Among Women of Color Tenure-Track Engineering Faculty

“…Malcolm et al (1976) and DeJoie (1977) describe the experience of WOC as a "double bind" where WOC are burdened by both racism and sexism within STEM environments, which impedes advancing through the academic ranks (Turner, 2002). Research investigating the discrimination, racialized pressure to succeed at all costs, and isolation experienced by WOC in higher education acknowledges that these issues inadvertently reveal the role of intersectionality, since the intersectional identities of WOC can affect their raced and gendered interactions in White-male-normed STEM environments (Eastman et al, 2019).…”

Global Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Approaches: Anthropological Contributions and Future Directions for Engineering

“…Quite a few publications on topics related to engineering for development have been completed by scholars in the global North with the intention of serving communities in the global South, often using approaches that are technology centric. Notably, the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields have been critiqued for their homogeneity, with research and practice aiming to draw more women and underrepresented minorities onto the engineering pathway or pipeline (Burke and Mattis, 2007 ; Borman et al , 2010 ; Douglas, 2015 ; Eastman et al , 2019 ). However, evidence and experience indicate that WASH challenges in WASH-insecure communities are not solvable by technology fixes alone, leading to the introduction of a more participatory, transdisciplinary, and community-centered approach to research, development, design, and application of global WASH approaches (Kennedy-Walker et al , 2014 ).…”

“She’s More Like a Guy”: The Legacy of Gender Inequity Passed on to Undergraduate Engineering Students

“…We therefore call upon researchers to explore more critically learning contexts with an eye toward exposing the implicit White, male dominant norms and their effects on the discipline. As many have shown [12], [41] engineers have been rather uncritical of their working contexts-looking for alternate explanations and anemic solutions like recruitment to resolve inequity. Research on the beliefs that engineering educators hold toward equity; on transformative and inclusive teaching practices; and on efforts to foster other competing values in engineering can also paint a new vision as to whether different models of success and support can thrive.…”