Research Blog #4

Ali Abdelhamid

Research Proposal

1) Working Title-

The Reasons Why STEM is not Diverse Enough, How to Correct it, and What if We Don’t

2) Topic Description-

Colleges have a major problem when it comes to diversifying STEM. The vast majority of STEM students are either Asian or white males. Women and minorities are completely neglected in this field. According to “Color-Blind Liberalism in Postsecondary STEM Education,” by Lorenzo Dubois Baber, in no type of STEM related field did the African American or the Latino community receive over 10% each of the total bachelors degrees awarded. This means that over 80% of STEM degrees awarded fall under a different demographic. These numbers actually drop further when looking at Masters and PhD degrees. Here, over 90% of degrees were awarded to other demographics. This study asserts that minorities are at a disadvantage and it is harder for them to get to the same places as their white or Asian counterparts. This is a major issue because a lack of diversity actually has the potential to hinder the American economy. This is due to the fact that minorities have become an untapped resource. According to Calvin Briggs in The Policy of STEM Diversity: Diversifying STEM Programs in Higher Education, the minority population is the fastest growing population in America, and it is necessary to educate them in order for America to remain an influential world economy. This is done through mentorship programs, as Briggs claims, “35 percent of HBCU graduates had completed a graduate degree, opposed to 25 percent of an appropriate national comparison group of bachelor degree recipients in STEM” (Briggs). Even though there are things currently being done to combat the lack of diversity, there is still a lot more work to be done.

3) Research Questions-

Why do STEM fields suffer from a lack of diversity? Does a lack of opportunity cause this or do people still have gender and racial biases that put minorities at a disadvantage? What is and can be done to change this? What if things just stay the same?

4) Theoretical Frames-

There are three main theories when addressing this topic: minorities are disadvantaged academically, not enough is being done to combat this, if society stays the way it currently is, the American economy will no longer be a powerhouse.

The first addresses the overall sense of racism and sexism that occur within STEM fields. This makes STEM almost off-putting for minority students and women. This is discussed in the case study, “Cartographies of Race, Gender, and Class in the White (Male Settler) Spaces of Science and Mathematics: Navigations by Black, Afro-Brazilian, and Pakistani/American Women.” In this case study, three minority women students are evaluated on what they have to go through, and why STEM is more difficult for them. Minority women are marginalized in the STEM field and denied positions of power. Another reason why students are at a disadvantage is their backgrounds. Oftentimes minority students do not come from wealthy backgrounds. As a result, they struggle to even go to college in the first place. Furthermore, even if a minority student is able to go to college, they might not come from the best high school. Oftentimes, their high schools do not even offer AP classes. This immediately puts them behind their peers.

The next part of the central idea is talks about how to fix the problem of diversity in STEM. As seen in the article, “Using Role Models to increase Diversity in STEM,” by Carrie Hutton, mentors can go a long way. They can help inspire a younger generation to get involved in STEM fields. This can be done through parents, teachers, or a prominent community members. Hutton explains the “Bringing Learning to Life” mentorship program: “The program was developed as a response to student boredom and lack of understanding about how coursework related to the real world around them” (Hutton). Mentorship programs is a step in the right direction to get minorities interested in STEM fields and promote a positive culture. Another thing that was done to support minorities can be seen in Calvin Briggs’ article The Policy of STEM Diversity: Diversifying STEM Programs in Higher Education. Briggs discusses the legal aspect behind diversity. He states, “As an alternative, in California policy-makers are experimenting with new admission rules that would increase diversity with the University of California (UC) System” (Briggs). States are trying different ways to increase diversity. This includes lawmaking.

Even though there are clear initiatives to increase diversity in STEM, not much is changing. This is because there is not enough being done. The mentorship programs are obviously beneficial, but not enough minorities are taking place in it. Take Rutgers, for example. The university claims that it does everything possible to increase diversity, yet as according to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, only 17 of the 148 students who received a bachelors degree in mathematics in 2018 were minorities. The remaining we all white or Asian. This is unacceptable. The American economy is doomed to fail if society keeps solely relying on white and Asian males for all STEM work.

5) Cases or Examples-

The book Diversifying STEM: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Race and Gender offer a number of case studies and personal examples that prove the STEM field is not diverse. The first of these studies, called “Color-Blind Liberalism in Postsecondary STEM Education,” by Lorenzo Dubois Baber, looks at the percentages of minority students getting education in STEM fields for not only a bachelors degree, but also Masters degrees and PhDs. The study looks at all of the STEM degrees awarded nationwide, and calculates what percentage of each degree is received by each demographic. The numbers are staggering. This study asserts that minorities are at a disadvantage and it is harder for them to get to the same places as their white or Asian counterparts.

                                                 

                                                      Works Cited

Bidwell, Allie. “STEM Workforce No More Diverse Than 14 Years Ago.” U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report, 24 Feb. 2015, www.usnews.com/news/stem-solutions/articles/2015/02/24/stem-workforce-no-more-diverse-than-14-years-ago.

Briggs, C. (2017). THE POLICY OF STEM DIVERSITY: Diversifying STEM Programs in Higher Education. Journal of STEM Education, 17(4),. Laboratory for Innovative Technology in Engineering Education (LITEE). Retrieved February 28, 2020 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/174403/.

Hutton, Carrie. “Using Role Models to Increase Diversity in STEM.” Technology and Engineering Teacher, vol. 79, no. 3, Nov. 2019, pp. 16–19. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1232265&site=ehost-live.

McGee, Ebony O., and William H. Robinson. Diversifying STEM: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Race and Gender. Rutgers University Press, 2020.

The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, National Center for Education Statistics, nces.ed.gov/ipeds/use-the-data.