99. Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)
Paper
Leaning into the ‘Discomfort’ of Inequitable Representation: Gendered and Racialised Barriers for Women Academics of Colour in British STEM Academia
Abimbola Abodunrin
University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
Presenting Author: Abodunrin, Abimbola
This study explores the underrepresentation of women academics of colour (WAC) in British STEM academia, building upon a substantial body of literature highlighting the glaring and seemingly intractable lack of diversity within UK STEM faculties and across global STEM academia (WISE, 2019). Beyond numerical inequities, existing evidence points to a higher likelihood of WAC being disproportionately concentrated in junior academic positions, indicative of unequal power relations (APPG, 2021). This is compounded by nuanced issues relating to idealised and masculinised cultures prevalent across STEM disciplines (Carlone and Johnson, 2007) as well as issues of knowledge otherness – referring to how WAC are epistemologically marginalised/silenced (Ong et al., 2018). Even more is the prevailing tendency to prioritise gender as the primary focus in inequity discussions, often overshadowing race (Bhopal and Henderson, 2021), and other categories such as class, age, sexuality, and disability within initiatives and policy actions aimed at promoting equity in STEM. This tendency may, in part, stem from the discomfort surrounding discourses of sexism, racism, and experiences of marginalisation as well as the challenges associated with addressing these issues at institutional levels (Ahmed, 2012).
It is therefore not surprising that while there are substantial scholarly works on the underrepresentation of women in STEM as well as a disproportionate underrepresentation of WAC in British higher education, there remains a dearth of research studies exploring gender-race intersectionality in STEM, particularly within the UK context (e.g., Casad et al., 2021; Ong et al., 2018; most of which are studies conducted in the US). This is a gap this study seeks to support in literature, contributing to pressing calls to decolonise British STEM academia while extending research on the underrepresentation of WAC in STEM beyond gender and race-based discrimination to complex issues relating to epistemological hegemony, cultural conformity, and counter-technologies, all of which are interlinked with the underrepresentation of WAC in STEM. Against this backdrop, the study seeks to address the overarching question of how orientalist power dynamics serve to perpetuate and/or exacerbate inequitable patterns of representation for these women in STEM faculties. More specifically, it explores ways in which WAC’s gender and racial/ethnic identities intersect to constrain their progression, retention, and equitable representation more broadly in STEM. This includes how these women subvert the power of dominant discourses through micro-practices of resistance and techniques of power (Ahmed, 2012; Ong et al., 2018).
In search for answers around the intersectional barriers and the underlying processes that pose obstacles towards equitable representation for these women, I adopt a post-colonial perspective, drawing on Said’s (1978) epistemological conception of orientalism. Said defines this as a discursively constructed power relation between two constructed regions - the ‘Orient’ and ‘Occident’. Underpinning this power relation are discourses that work to explicitly or implicitly present the knowledge and ideas of the West/Occident as ‘developed’ and superior while the Orient/East is essentialised as ‘underdeveloped’ and inferior. In addition to postcolonial scholars, as well as post-colonialist feminists such as Spivak (1988) and Subedi and Daza (2008), I draw on complementary work from Foucauldian poststructuralist feminism. This approach views power relations – including gender - as discursively constructed and fluid (Foucault, 1988; Butler, 1990; Hall, 1996), shifting the study's focus from discursive narratives based on participants’ sense of subjectivity to a structural understanding of how STEM cultures and practices perpetuate inequities on gender and ‘race’ lines.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedUnderpinned by an interpretivist perspective (Dean, 2018), the study employs a qualitative approach involving 15 online semi-structured interviews facilitated through timeline maps. These maps aided participants in charting pivotal moments and influences shaping their career trajectories which in turn proved useful in unpacking the complexities and dynamics of participants' experiences. Participants encompass WAC of diverse racial groups (including Africans, Afro-Caribbeans, South Asians, and Black Brits), and across various career stages within STEM faculties in seven British universities. Five initial participants were purposively selected drawing on networks established through my professional contacts, employing three primary criteria including participants: 1) self-identifying as women, 2) having African, Afro-Caribbean, South-Asian or black British backgrounds/ethnicities, and 3) working and/or studying in STEM disciplines. Subsequently, the original sample was broadened through a snowballing strategy, wherein participants were asked for referrals. To minimise sampling bias, efforts were made to include individuals who were predominantly colleagues of acquaintances or those recommended by participants interviewed within the study.
Adopted for cost-effectiveness and its perceived user-friendliness, Zoom videoconferencing proved vital for facilitating interviews with a diverse and geographically dispersed group of participants (Archibald et al., 2019). Its use was not only safe and essential, preventing COVID-19 infections and mitigating conflicts arising from finding suitable interview spaces, but also environmentally conscious, avoiding unnecessary travel impact on the climate. Conducting the interviews from the privacy of my flat allowed considerable control over disruptions and maintaining confidentiality, yet unanticipated challenges, such as unexpected post deliveries, PC malfunctions, internet issues, and family dynamics, arose. Despite these, Zoom was instrumental in facilitating the interviews and maintaining research progress.
Data analysis was conducted using a mix of thematic and discourse analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2021) allowing the exploration of key themes, as well as an analysis of the dynamics of the discourses that participants use to articulate their experiences. Interlinked with epistemologically orientalist power dynamics, this informed an analysis of the ways in which discursive practices shape and influence the conduct of WAC in STEM spaces (Arribas-Ayllon & Walkerdine, 2017). Put together, this analytical approach was useful in exploring nuanced aspects of inequities such as epistemological hegemony and their links to the under-representation of WAC in STEM rather than solely focusing on individual instances of discrimination and simply charting numerical underrepresentation.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsThe findings of the study point toward four overarching themes including:
Firstly, "the masculinity of science identity" - deconstructing power imbalances within discourses of 'science identity,' highlighting its performative nature. This construct implicitly frames non-conforming bodies/performances as 'outsiders-within’, requiring additional support, surveillance, and (re)socialisation into the science culture. Secondly, "checking the colour box" - unpacking the contradictory positioning of WAC, with their representation often tokenised as diversity markers, while their epistemological contributions are deemed academically short of the perceived ‘standard’. Thirdly, "the partnership and motherhood penalty" - analysing how societal expectations regarding gender roles in partnership/motherhood act as significant barriers for WAC in STEM, exploring the overlap between a woman’s biological clock, her career clock, and her partner’s career clock. Lastly, "Out of place yet unrelated to gender and/or race identity" - exploring various forms of dissonance, with participants associating gendered and racialised experiences with cultural dynamics. This theme references hegemonic meritocratic discourses prevalent in STEM and internalised responses to gendered and racialised experiences, potentially contributing to the underrepresentation of WAC in STEM.
These findings extend an invitation to conference participants to lean into the discomfort and engage/contribute to discourses around gendered and racialised barriers, including epistemological hegemonic cultures and practices that serve to perpetuate and/or exacerbate the underrepresentation of WAC in STEM. Informed by the study’s findings, these discussions have the potential to facilitate equitable and cultural changes in policies and practices. This includes implications for a renewed commitment to targeted recruitments, inclusive mentoring, family-friendly policies, cultural intelligence training, and a critical (re)evaluation of existing criteria and perceptions of epistemological competence.
ReferencesAhmed, S. 2012. On being included: Racism and diversity in institutional life. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Diversity and Inclusion in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), 2020. Inquiry into Equity in the STEM Workforce.
Archibald, M. M., Ambagtsheer, R. C., Casey, M. G. and Lawless, M. 2019. Using Zoom videoconferencing for qualitative data collection: Perception and experiences of researchers and participants. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 18: 1-8.
Arribas-Ayilon, M. & Walkerdine, V., 2017. “Foucauldian Discourse Analysis.” In The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research in Psychology, edited by Carla Willig and Wendy Stainton-Rogers. London: SAGE, 91–108.
Braun, V. and Clarke, V. 2021. Thematic analysis: a practical guide. London: SAGE Publications Ltd, I-338
Bhopal K. and Henderson, H. 2021. Competing inequalities: gender versus race in higher education institutions in the UK, Educational Review, 73(2): 153-169.
Butler, J., 1990. Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. New York: Routledge, 1-272.
Carlone, H.B. and Johnson, A., 2007. Understanding the science experiences of successful women of color: Science identity as an analytic lens. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 44(8): 1187-1218.
Casad BJ, Franks JE, Garasky CE, Kittleman MM, Roesler AC, Hall DY, Petzel ZW. 2021. Gender inequality in academia: Problems and solutions for women faculty in STEM. Journal of Neurosciences Research, 99:13–23.
Dean, B. A., 2018. The Interpretivist and the Learner. International Journal of doctoral studies, 13: 1-8.
Foucault, M., 1988. “Truth, Power, Self: An Interview with Michel Foucault, October 25, 1982.” In Technologies of the Self: A Seminar with Michel Foucault, edited by Luther H. Martin, Patrick
Hall, S., 1996. Introduction: Who needs ‘identity’? in S. Hall & P. du Gay (eds.), Questions of Identity. London: SAGE Publications Ltd, 1-17.
Ong, M. Smith, J. M. & Ko, L. T., 2018. ‘Counterspaces for Women of Color in STEM Higher Education: Marginal and Central Spaces for Persistence and Success’. Journal of Research in Science Teaching. 55(2): 206–245.
Said, E. W., 1978. Orientalism. London: Routledge, pp. 1-92.
Spivak, G. C. (1988). Can the subaltern speak? In C. Nelson & L. Grossberg (Eds.), Marxism and the interpretation of culture (pp. 271–313). University of Illinois Press
Subedi, B. & Daza, S. L., 2008. The possibilities of postcolonial praxis in education, Race Ethnicity and Education, 11(1): 1-10.
WISE Campaign. 2019. 2019 workforce statistics – 1 million women in STEM in the UK. Accessed 21 Sept 2021 at: https://www.wisecampaign.org.uk/annual-core-stem-stats-round-up-2019-20/
99. Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)
Paper
Culture of Choice: Decision-Making of Prospective Female Doctoral Students in Chinese Higher Education
Ting Lin, Zhen Li
University of Nottingham Ningbo China
Presenting Author: Lin, Ting
Topic:
Under-representation of female doctoral students has been identified as a gender-specific injustice of higher education restricting women from academic careers (UNESCO UIS, 2017). In China, this phenomenon is the case. Female participation has exceeded 50% in both Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes since 2011, but is significantly lower in doctoral programmes. Take the latest data as an example, in 2022, female students accounted for 52.90% in Bachelor’s programmes, 52.89% in master's programmes, but only 41.91% in doctoral programmes (Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, 2023). However, since educational choice is seen as personal, this issue is ignored and under-researched, or explained away as opt-out through a group decision preference. It is imperative to understand the actual ‘choices’ prospective female doctoral students have and how they make the decision of either pursuing or giving up doctoral studies.
Research Objectives:
The project is designed to 1) identify the choice dilemmas in the personal decision-making experience of these female students; 2) understand, in a Chinese cultural context, how they identify options available to them and make their decisions; 3) identify root causes of female students opting out of doctoral studies after considered decision-making.
Research Questions:
Research question 1: What choice dilemmas do prospective female doctoral students face when making the decision on pursuing doctoral studies?
Research question 2: When faced with choice dilemmas, how do they make their own choices or how do they delegate their autonomy of choice to others? What choice skills and relevant identification or reflection involved, respectively?
Research question 3: In the process of decision-making, how do the constituents in these dilemmas interact with cultural discourses and then limit their agency of decision-making?
Theoretical framework:
The paper uses the theoretical framework of Schwarz's cultural sociology of choice centered on culture, choice and agency. Schwarz (2018) has argued for a cultural theory of choice and decision-making as a more valid account of actual social behaviour than the interpretations and predictions offered by rational choice-inspired theory. Choices are cultural and choice processes are culture-specific ways of doing based on normativity, which rely on both cultural-specific choice techniques and culturally knowledge of the options.
Significance:
This study contributes to the understanding of choice and its process as ever-changing social phenomena and the examination of gender equality in Chinese doctoral education based on cultural sociology of choice.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedThe paper reports on a purely qualitative study in which detailed experiences of Chinese female students in their decision-making in pursuing doctoral education are the key focus. 30 in-depth interviews with semi-open structure were conducted with prospective female students, who are either considering or in the process of applying for doctoral study. Respondents are recruited by judgement sampling mainly through two ways: 1) researcher send a recruitment request in his/her own social circle and contact some acquainted female students who are considering or applying for a doctoral programme; 2) gain some samples by introduction by these prospective students and researcher’s social circle. After sifting, finally, diverse research sample with different characteristics is established according to their life or research backgrounds such as marital status, whether they have children, and research fields. Respondents of different marital status include 10 single females, 10 females in relationships, and 10 married females, 6 of whom have children. Respondents of different research fields include 11 prospective students majoring in humanities, 11 in STEM and 8 in business. All interviews are conducted face-to-face, being recorded with well-guaranteed anonymity and confidentiality. Participants are presented with Consent Form and document that clearly stats their rights and where they could contact when feeling disturbed after interviewing. Each form of data was treated with utmost discretion and confidentiality.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsThere are three main findings:
1) prospective female doctoral students significantly value doctoral studies, but they face dilemmas caused by a cultural incompatibility between pursuing doctoral studies and other choices. These include getting married and/or having children before they are in their 30s; becoming employed in order to settle down early in an intensely competitive job market; ceding financial investment to another family member whose development and/or family status takes priority; taking on childcare; keeping emotionally safe from harm from stereotypes of a female doctor; and simply acting as a ‘dutiful’ daughter.
2) This incompatibility, in nature, tells of the absence of genuine choice for females to pursue doctoral studies, which is caused by constant discouragement from cultural-specific discourses during the whole process of decision-making. Specifically, choices are constrained by culturally powerful, shared normative and epistemological horizons shaping females either to delegate to parents - and/or husband - crucial choices, or to make their own choices but consider the expectations of their family or cultural community. When options chosen are culturally right, female individuals may gain a sense of identity and morality. If not, they experience feedback that serves the culturally privileged telling them they are not making right choices and may be pushed to choose again until their choices are culturally right.
3) Choice of pursuing doctoral studies is not impossible, which is always based on a premise that those who are allowed pursuing doctoral studies are considerably expected to ‘do both’ – to finish life tasks contained in the option which is not chosen but is considered as more culturally right, during or even before the years of their doctoral studies.
ReferencesMinistry of Education of the People’s Republic of China (2023) Number of Students of Formal Education by Type and Level. Available at: http://www.moe.gov.cn/jyb_sjzl/moe_560/2022/quanguo/202401/t20240110_1099535.html (Accessed: 20 January 2024).
Schwarz, O. (2018) ‘Cultures of choice: towards a sociology of choice as a cultural phenomenon’, The British Journal of Sociology, 69(3), pp. 845-864. doi: 10.1111/1468-4446.12305.
UNESCO UIS (2017) Women are Missing from the Ranks of Higher Education and Research. Available at: https://uis.unesco.org/en/news/women-are-missing-ranks-higher-education-and-research (Accessed: 20 January 2024).
99. Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)
Paper
Transcultural Journeys: Unveiling Hybrid Identities and Superdiversity Among Young Quota Refugees in Iceland
Muhammed Emin Kizilkaya, Guðbjörg Ottósdóttir, Eyrún María Rúnarsdóttir
University of Iceland, Iceland
Presenting Author: Kizilkaya, Muhammed Emin;
Ottósdóttir, Guðbjörg
This paper presents preliminary findings from the research project, A Part and Apart? Education and social inclusion of refugee children and youth in Iceland (ESRCI)
After generations of upbringing in migration destinations, children and young people grow up within communities with strong transnational ties to countries of origin (Olwig, 2011, 2013). Children’s identification and sense of belonging also refer to local places in the countries of residence (Olwig, 2003) such as school, a place children identify strongly with. Children thus operate with multiple, shifting identities, developing multiple relationships and a sense of belonging (Motti-Stefanidi & Masten, 2017; Ragnarsdóttir & Hama, 2018a; Tran & Lefever, 2018). Belonging has been argued to be multidimensional involving four distinct dimensions, such as a fundamental need to belong; a need to be connected to people and places and sharing memberships; belonging to a distinct social group; and a process of power and politics on micro and macro levels where children become excluded and included (Johansen & Puroila, 2021). Research shows that young Syrian refugees use social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Snapchat to strengthen ties and connect across cultural divides (Veronis, Tabler, & Ahmed, 2018) and globally, unaccompanied refugees use Facebook, WhatsApp, Viber, and Skype for emotional bonding despite geographical distance (Gillespie et al., 2016; Kutscher and Kress, 2018). Social media platforms also play a role in symbolic acculturation, reflecting identity expression and a desire for successful integration (Thorpe and Wheaton, 2021).
Communication technologies play a crucial role in negotiating changes during migration and resettlement (Thorpe and Wheaton, 2021). The virtual world facilitates emotional connections across borders, preserving a sense of unity for families experiencing forced migration (Robertson et al., 2016; Kutscher and Kress, 2018). Social media has become a tool for communication, information sharing, and resource exchange among geographically distant individuals, influencing local resettlement experiences (Marlowe, 2020). The process of sharing information in mobilized virtual communities impacts rapid dissemination within online filter bubbles and echo chambers (Urry, 2016; Pariser, 2011). Virtual technologies enable transnational socio-virtual groups, fostering common interests irrespective of cultural differences (Marlowe, 2020).
The ESRCI project aims to critically explore the education and social inclusion of Syrian and Iraqi refugee children and youth at pre-, compulsory, and upper secondary levels and the structures created for their learning and wellbeing in their social and educational settings. Pillar 3 specifically engages with social inclusion and aims to explore wellbeing, social relationships and positions of refugee children and youth, identity, and intersections. It aims to comprehend the ways in which young refugees adapt to unfamiliar social and cultural surroundings, with a particular focus on the influence of social media in promoting transcultural experiences. The research also examines the ideas of hybridity and superdiversity, investigating the interaction between physical and virtual platforms in the context of transcultural communities. The ultimate objective is to provide valuable insights into the complex social environments encountered by young refugees in Iceland.
Research questions
- In what ways do young refugees in Iceland perceive and navigate new social and cultural environments, encountering different ideas and lifestyles? Additionally, does the use of social media platforms facilitate transculturality through communication and networking in these unfamiliar physical environments for young refugees?
- To what extent do the concepts of hybridity and superdiversity contribute to our understanding of the experiences of young refugees in Iceland, particularly considering the interplay between physical and virtual platforms and their connections to transcultural societies.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedThe qualitative ESRCI research project involves Syrian and Iraqi refugee children and youth of different genders and their parents who have diverse educational and socio-economic backgrounds, altogether 40 families with children in schools at one or more levels (pre-, compulsory and upper secondary) in eleven municipalities in Iceland, as well as the children’s teachers, principals and where relevant, school counsellors, in the children’s schools, municipality persons, social services and NGOs. The municipalities are located in different parts of Iceland: Southwest (Capital area), Northwest, West Fjords, Northeast, East and South Iceland. Purposive sampling is used to select the children and parents and professionals in schools and municipalities.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsThis pillar aims to thoroughly study the challenges and opportunities faced by young refugees as they establish themselves in Iceland, navigating the diverse norms, systems, and cultures of their unfamiliar environment. The study seeks to unveil the dynamics in the formation of hybrid identities, stemming from the imperative to engage with multiple environments that encompass a variety of ideas and cultures. These environments include their homes, where different norms, languages, cultures, and religions are taught, and the Icelandic public sphere, which introduces additional language differences, norms, religions, and cultural nuances, influencing various aspects of their perception and prosperity in Iceland.
These hybrid identities become superdiverse as they further intertwine with transcultural tendencies through the virtual world. The virtual world involves endless diverse ideas, cultures, and information, adding another layer of complexity to the formation of the young refugees' identities. In this context, young refugees may transform into distinct virtual travelers, maintaining connections with their home countries through cross-border communication. Conversely, virtual spheres might also facilitate increased interaction with Icelanders, presenting an opportunity for further integration and cultural exchange. While conducted in Iceland, this study introduces innovative frameworks to comprehend the mixed social and virtual dimensions shaping refugee socialization and integration in a new society. Simultaneously, it aims to provide insights into the experiences of the contemporary younger generation in the Western world. Serving as a guide for future research on understanding young refugees' perceptions and establishment in a foreign society, it also offers a pathway for comprehending the broader experiences of contemporary younger generations in the West – the "gen Z and gen ALPHA." Anticipated findings encompass indications of stigmatization, exclusion, isolation, or parallel mobilization, with potential implications for the well-being, prosperity, productivity, and education of these individuals.
ReferencesAlarcón, X., Bobowik, M., & Prieto-Flores, S. (2021). Mentoring for Improving the Self-Esteem, Resilience, and Hope of Unaccompanied Migrant Youth in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(10), 5210. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18105210
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Korkiamäki, R., & Gilligan, R. (2020). Responding to misrecognition – A study with unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors. Children and Youth Services Review, 119, 105687. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105687
Kutscher, N., & Kreß, L. M. (2018). The Ambivalent Potentials of Social Media Use by Unaccompanied Minor Refugees. Social Media + Society, 4(1), 205630511876443. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305118764438
Johansson, E. & Puroila, A.-M. (2021). Research perspectives on the politics of belonging in early years education. International Journal of Early Childhood. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-021-00288-6.
Marlowe, J. (2020). Refugee resettlement, social media and the social organization of difference. Global Networks, 20(2), 274–291. https://doi.org/10.1111/glob.12233
Masten, A. S. (2014). Ordinary magic: Resilience in development. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Motti-Stefanidi, F., & Masten, A. S. (2017). A resilience perspective on immigrant youth adaptation and development. In N. J. Cabrera & B. Leyendecker (Eds.), Handbook on positive development of minority children and youth. DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-43645-6_2
Pariser, E. (2012). The filter bubble: what the Internet is hiding from you. London: Penguin Books
Olwig, K. F. (2003). Children’s places of belonging in immigrant families of Caribbean background. In K. Fog Olwig & E. Gulløy (Eds.). Children’s places, cross-cultural perspectives. London: Routledge.
Olwig, K. F. (2011). ´Integration´: Migrants and refugees between Scandinavian welfare societies and family relations. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 37(2), 179–196. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2010.521327
Olwig, K. F. (2013). Notions and practices of difference: An epilogue on the ethnography of diversity. Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power, 20(4), 471–479. https://doi.org/10.1080/1070289X.2013.822378
Ragnarsdóttir, H. & Hama, S. R. (2018a). Refugee children in Icelandic schools: Experiences of families and schools. In H. Ragnarsdóttir & S. Lefever (Eds.), Icelandic studies on diversity and social justice in education (pp. 82–104). Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Press.
Sheller, M., & Urry, J. (2016). Mobilizing the new mobilities paradigm. Applied Mobilities, 1(1), 10–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/23800127.2016.1151216
Veronis, L., Tabler, Z., & Ahmed, R. (2018). Syrian Refugee Youth Use Social Media: Building Transcultural Spaces and Connections for Resettlement in Ottawa, Canada. Canadian Ethnic Studies, 50(2), 79–99.
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