Identity Dilemmas, Cultural Homelessness and Intersectionality: A Discourse Analysis of the Experiences of a Female Undergraduate International and Transracial Adoptee in Engineering (Research)

Maimuna Begum Kali; Stephen Secules

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Conference: 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Baltimore , Maryland
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Start Date: June 25, 2023
End Date: June 28, 2023
Conference Session: Mentoring, Case Study of Racial and Ethnic Diversity, Identity Dilemmas, Cultural Homelessness and Intersectionality, and Transfer Students
Tagged Division: Minorities in Engineering Division(MIND)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Page Count: 18
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--43447
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/43447
Download Count: 165

Paper Authors

biography

Maimuna Begum Kali Florida International University orcid.org/0000-0003-1770-7363

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Maimuna Begum Kali is a Ph.D. candidate in the Engineering and Computing Education program at the School of Universal Computing, Construction, and Engineering Education (SUCCEED) at Florida International University (FIU). She earned her B.Sc. in Computer Science and Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). Kali's research interests center on exploring the experiences of marginalized engineering students, with a particular focus on their hidden identity, mental health, and wellbeing. Her work aims to enhance inclusivity and diversity in engineering education, contributing to the larger body of research in the field.

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Stephen Secules Florida International University orcid.org/0000-0002-3149-2306

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Stephen is an Assistant Professor Engineering and Computing Education at Florida International University. He has a prior academic and professional background in engineering, having worked professionally as an acoustical engineer. He has taught several courses on design, sociotechnical contexts, and engineering education. He runs the Equity Research Group which incorporates qualitative, ethnographic, participatory, and action-oriented research methods to examine and improve equity in engineering education contexts.

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Abstract

Background: Engineering education research on inclusion has helped understand the challenges and better the experiences of underrepresented and marginalized groups (e.g., LGBTQ+, disabled individuals, and first-generation college students). In contrast, populations at the intersection of multiple forms of marginalization are harder to support and not as well represented in the literature. As each identity group can have a unique experience of educational culture, attention to intersectionality necessitates more nuance and specificity in our understanding.

Theoretical framework: Cultural homelessness occurs when an individual lacks a cultural frame of reference to fit into existing racial, ethnic, or cultural categories. We argue that students can develop a sense of cultural homelessness via the experience of multiple systems of oppression.

Purpose: In this article, we explore how a female transracial adoptee undergraduate engineering student describes her experiences in engineering and the challenges she faces due to having complex identities by employing the notions of intersectionality and cultural home/lessness.

Method: This study is part of a larger project, Audio for Inclusion, that examines aspects of students’ experiences and identities that are overlooked, misunderstood or marginalized in engineering. In this paper, we focus on a single participant, Amber, a female transracial adoptee with anxiety and depression in the 4th year of her engineering program at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI). We used narrative and discourse analysis techniques to examine the experience and characterization of her identity within or outside of a cultural home.

Findings: The findings demonstrate cultural homelessness in how Amber expresses an “outsider” identity and two different identity dilemmas that she experiences in life and academic settings.

Implications: The study has implications for how we support students from multiply marginalized groups and calls for us to actively and intentionally include groups that are usually overlooked or underexplored. As intersectionality creates nuanced and divergent experiences among all of us, it is crucial to attend to these nuances when investigating engineering marginalization and strive to create a holistically inclusive culture.

Keywords: intersectionality, student experience, discourse analysis, identity, visibility

Citation
Format

Kali, M. B., & Secules, S. (2023, June), Identity Dilemmas, Cultural Homelessness and Intersectionality: A Discourse Analysis of the Experiences of a Female Undergraduate International and Transracial Adoptee in Engineering (Research) Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--43447

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Background:  Engineering education research on inclusion has helped understand the challenges and better the experiences of underrepresented and marginalized groups (e.g., LGBTQ+, disabled individuals, and first-generation college students). In contrast, populations at the intersection of multiple forms of marginalization are harder to support and not as well represented in the literature. As each identity group can have a unique experience of educational culture, attention to intersectionality necessitates more nuance and specificity in our understanding. 

Theoretical framework: Cultural homelessness occurs when an individual lacks a cultural frame of reference to fit into existing racial, ethnic, or cultural categories. We argue that students can develop a sense of cultural homelessness via the experience of multiple systems of oppression. 

Purpose: In this article, we explore how a female transracial adoptee undergraduate engineering student describes her experiences in engineering and the challenges she faces due to having complex identities by employing the notions of intersectionality and cultural home/lessness. 

Method: This study is part of a larger project, Audio for Inclusion, that examines aspects of students’ experiences and identities that are overlooked, misunderstood or marginalized in engineering. In this paper, we focus on a single participant, Amber, a female transracial adoptee with anxiety and depression in the 4th year of her engineering program at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI). We used narrative and discourse analysis techniques to examine the experience and characterization of her identity within or outside of a cultural home.

Findings: The findings demonstrate cultural homelessness in how Amber expresses an “outsider” identity and two different identity dilemmas that she experiences in life and academic settings.

Implications: The study has implications for how we support students from multiply marginalized groups and calls for us to actively and intentionally include groups that are usually overlooked or underexplored. As intersectionality creates nuanced and divergent experiences among all of us, it is crucial to attend to these nuances when investigating engineering marginalization and strive to create a holistically inclusive culture.

Keywords: intersectionality, student experience, discourse analysis, identity, visibility
AU  - Maimuna Begum Kali
AU  - Stephen Secules
CY  - Baltimore , Maryland
DA  - 2023/06/25
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Identity Dilemmas, Cultural Homelessness and Intersectionality: A Discourse Analysis of the Experiences of a Female Undergraduate International and Transracial Adoptee in Engineering (Research)
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/43447
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--43447
ER  -