Who Are You Studying With? The Role of Diverse Friendships in STEM and Corresponding Inequality

Park, Julie J.; Kim, Young K.; Lue, Kristyn; Jia, Zheng; Parikh, Roshan M.; Salazar, Cinthya Campos; Liwanag, Arman M.

doi:10.1007/s11162-021-09638-8

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…Due to the lack of women in their fields, participants in women-minority majors felt responsible for befriending their men classmates, as the men did not need to approach women in order to make friends within their department, which further isolated the women students. This is particularly concerning given the positive correlation between peer relationships and GPA among STEM students (Park et al, 2021). Two participants also referenced instances of unwanted sexual attention from men peers, which made them wary of studying with men, and supports findings about the prevalence of sexual harassment in STEM fields (Leaper & Starr, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 55%

Exploring the Experiences of College Women in Fields with Disparities in Gender Representation

Crawford,

Silver

2024

JPSS

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Although women earn over half of all bachelor’s degrees in the United States, they are not equally represented across fields of study. Research on gender segregation in higher education has expanded, but this primarily quantitative work tends to neglect the voices of the college women who are experiencing gender-segregated settings firsthand. Our research explores the experiences of women majoring in fields where gender representation is unequal. Sixteen women undergraduates took part in interviews, with half coming from majors classified as women-minority, and half from majors designated as women-majority. Findings demonstrate that women in women-minority majors and women in women-majority majors differ in how they describe their experiences around three themes: relationships with classmates, relationships with professors, and the emotional impact of major demographics. This article concludes by exploring implications for higher education.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 55%

Exploring the Experiences of College Women in Fields with Disparities in Gender Representation

Crawford,

Silver

2024

JPSS

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“…For example, many Black and Latinx students leave STEM due to being perceived as intellectually inferior by faculty and peers (Charleston et al, 2014; McGee & Bentley, 2017; Obiomon et al, 2007). In turn, students of color and some White women who stay face challenges to forming positive social relationships, such as being excluded from important peer networks like study groups and informal socializing (Alexander & Hermann, 2016; Estrada et al, 2018; Park, Kim, et al, 2021), which impedes the ability of all students to build diverse social networks. Black graduate students reported being excluded from peer networks, being ignored or overlooked by advisors in the lab space, and feeling like their contributions to discussion were ignored (Malone & Barabino, 2009).…”

Section: Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Looking beyond college: STEM college seniors on entering the workforce and the impact of race and gender.

Park¹,

Zheng²,

Lue³

et al. 2024

Journal of Diversity in Higher Education

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While a strong literature base exists around undergraduate experiences in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), few studies examine how students approach the question of “what’s next” after graduation. This study examines the impact of social ties on STEM college seniors’ plans to enter the STEM workforce, and how race/ethnicity and gender impact postgraduation planning in STEM. We interviewed a racially diverse sample of 39 STEM college seniors at a predominantly White research institution. Analysis showed that students relied on weak and strong social ties in obtaining job leads and valued diversity in the workplace. Some students of color and women experienced negative social ties (via racism and sexism) during internship experiences, which shaped their thinking around postgraduate opportunities. We discuss implications for equity, as well as recommendations for research and practice.

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“…These findings are not surprising given the extensive existing evidence for the impact of racism and sexism experienced by women of color in STEM . The climate in STEM is often alienating for Black women given that many are often the only person of color in their local STEM environment, and they are frequently faced with having to endure microaggressions, harassment, and discrimination from peers and faculty. − While studies show that many Black female students tend to have a higher interest in science than White female students, these findings indicate that systemic structures need to be put together that aim at supporting Black female students upon their entry to college to maintain their interest in STEM and support their progress toward STEM degrees.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Examining Educational Debts in Student Preparation for General Chemistry

Caushi,

Torres,

Abrams

2024

J. Chem. Educ.

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Students beginning college chemistry are expected to arrive prepared with fundamental, prerequisite conceptual understanding and skills from high school. While some topics may be reviewed explicitly in the course, prerequisite material�including hidden prerequisites often overlooked by faculty�is typically considered assumed prior knowledge and not taught in General Chemistry. This study examines the correlation between preparedness in fundamental topics and success in first-semester General Chemistry. The examined content areas included math and physics, measurement, matter, atoms/ ions/molecules, stoichiometry, basics of chemical reactions, thermodynamics, electronic structure, and bonding. Five areas (math and physics, measurement, matter, atoms/ions/molecules, and stoichiometry) positively correlated with success in General Chemistry, highlighting potential focus areas for resources to support students. Following the tenets of Quantitative Critical Race Theory, this study identified and quantified educational debts in preparation owed to students from historically marginalized groups. As a result of the pervasive effects of systemic injustices encountered by students from these groups, educational debts were observed in all prerequisite areas that correlated with student success. Moreover, these debts increased through the course, even when controlling for preparation. Specifically, Black and Hispanic students faced the largest educational debts in final course grades, with Black students receiving half of a letter grade lower than their White peers and Hispanic students receiving a third of a letter grade lower. These results emphasize the importance of addressing systemic barriers to reduce educational debts and providing constructive interventions to best prepare students and promote equitable outcomes.

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Who Are You Studying With? The Role of Diverse Friendships in STEM and Corresponding Inequality

Cited by 7 publications

References 76 publications

Exploring the Experiences of College Women in Fields with Disparities in Gender Representation

Exploring the Experiences of College Women in Fields with Disparities in Gender Representation

Looking beyond college: STEM college seniors on entering the workforce and the impact of race and gender.

Examining Educational Debts in Student Preparation for General Chemistry

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