RUI, SBP, Collaborative Research: Exploring the unique effects of shared past adversity for enhancing social connection and identify-safety in STEM

RUI、SBP，合作研究：探索过去共同逆境对增强 STEM 中的社会联系和身份安全的独特影响

• 批准号: 2017212
• 负责人: Evava Pietri
• 金额: $ 8.25万
• 依托单位: Indiana University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-09-01 至 2021-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2017212&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RUI; SBP; Collaborative; Research; Exploring

Representation matters for promoting students’ interest and belonging in STEM. Research has not clearly identified who counts as representation for different groups of students? Which scientists act as role models to spark students’ engagement with STEM? For a scientist to be a role model, it is important that students feel similar to that scientist, and students often feel similar to a person who has a matching identity, such as a female scientist for female students or a Black scientist for Black students. It is less clear, however, who would be a role model for Black female students who have multiple important identities (i.e. both Black, female, and STEM). This research will test the prediction that Black female students feel similar to scientists when they believe the scientist has had comparable experiences with discrimination (i.e., has faced similar types of racism or sexism). This is a critical question to explore because Black women are severely underrepresented in STEM, and as a result, the current work aims to provide practical techniques for recruiting and retaining Black women in these fields. This research tests how and when representation matters for Black women.This research will test how the context influences identification with various role-model types. This research contrasts whether having similar encounters with bias due to one’s identity (i.e., race or gender) versus having a common struggle is better for fostering feelings of similarity with a potential role model. The research tests the hypothesis that race tends to be more salient than gender in most situations for Black women. Thus, Black women are more likely to feel similar to a scientist matching their race than their gender because of the continuing racism permeating US society. That is, the primary hypothesis is that Black women will believe that a Black scientist has had more similar experiences with discrimination when compared to a White female scientist. However, context matters. In STEM fields where women are particularly under-represented, White female scientists may act as role models for Black women majors. Finally, we will investigate when and why Black female students might identify with a Latino male scientist who also faces race-based discrimination. All three studies will examine important outcomes related to feeling similar to the scientist including belonging, confidence, interest, and engagement in STEM. This research has direct applications to broadening participation for students in STEM fields and to models of identity.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

代表事宜促进学生对STEM的兴趣和归属感。研究还没有明确确定谁是不同学生群体的代表？哪些科学家充当榜样，激发学生参与STEM？对于一个科学家是一个榜样，重要的是，学生觉得类似的科学家，学生往往觉得类似的人谁具有匹配的身份，如女科学家的女学生或黑人科学家的黑人学生。它是不太清楚的，然而，谁将是一个榜样的黑人女学生谁拥有多重重要的身份（即黑人，女性和干）。这项研究将测试黑人女学生在认为科学家有类似的歧视经历时感觉与科学家相似的预测（即，面临类似的种族主义或性别歧视）。这是一个需要探讨的关键问题，因为黑人妇女在STEM领域的代表性严重不足，因此，目前的工作旨在为在这些领域招募和留住黑人妇女提供实用技术。本研究将测试背景如何影响黑人女性对各种角色模型类型的认同。这项研究对比了是否有类似的遭遇与偏见，由于一个人的身份（即，种族或性别）与共同奋斗相比，更能培养与潜在榜样的相似感。这项研究验证了一个假设，即在大多数情况下，黑人妇女的种族往往比性别更突出。因此，黑人女性更有可能感觉像一个科学家匹配他们的种族比他们的性别，因为持续的种族主义渗透美国社会。也就是说，主要的假设是，黑人妇女会相信，一个黑人科学家有更多类似的经验与歧视相比，一个白色女科学家。然而，背景很重要。在STEM领域，女性的代表性特别不足，白色女性科学家可以作为黑人女性专业的榜样。最后，我们将调查何时以及为什么黑人女学生可能会认同一个拉丁裔男性科学家谁也面临基于种族的歧视。这三项研究都将研究与科学家相似的感觉相关的重要结果，包括归属感，信心，兴趣和参与STEM。该研究直接应用于扩大学生在STEM领域的参与和身份模型。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。