White Male Allyship in STEM Higher Education: An Autoethnographic Study

Nagash Antoine Clarke; Joi-Lynn Mondisa

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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: Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY) Technical Session 1
Tagged Divisions: Equity and Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Page Count: 19
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--44030
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/44030
Download Count: 139

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Paper Authors

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Nagash Antoine Clarke University of Michigan

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Nagash Clarke is a doctoral student at the University of Michigan working with Dr. Joi-Lynn Mondisa. In his research, he examines mentoring and its particular implications for minoritized populations, as well as white male allyship in STEM higher education. He received a Bachelor's in Chemistry from Pace University and Masters degrees in both Chemical Engineering and Engineering Education Research from the University of Michigan. He teaches chemistry at Washtenaw Community College.

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Joi-Lynn Mondisa University of Michigan orcid.org/0000-0002-3959-6548

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Joi Mondisa, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Industrial & Operations Engineering Department and an Engineering Education Faculty Member at the University of Michigan. She earned her Ph.D. in Engineering Education and an M.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University; an M.B.A. degree from Governors State University; and a B.S. degree in General Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Prior to her graduate studies, she worked as a professional in the areas of manufacturing, operations, technical sales, and publishing for ten years. She also served as an adjunct faculty in the Engineering Technology Program at Triton College in River Grove, IL for seven years.

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Abstract

Research on allyship has increased in recent years as many higher education institutions seek to address issues that have resulted in a participation gap between white students and racially minoritized populations at predominantly white institutions (PWIs). White students have held a position of privilege in STEM higher education since the foundation of universities and colleges in the United States. In recent decades, marginalized populations have experienced increased access, but there still remains lower representation of minoritized individuals as compared to their white counterparts. One way to help increase representation is to create more white male allies who can help advocate for minoritized populations in STEM fields (e.g., recruiting underrepresented minority faculty).

An ally holds a position of power, and can help underrepresented populations persist in environments where they are marginalized. A white racial ally uses their position of power to help support racially minoritized individuals. White allies can leverage their positions of power to support racially minoritized populations’ (e.g., persons who identify as Black or LatinX) advancement in STEM fields. Allyship in higher education has been extensively detailed in research literature. This includes, defining allyship, how allies engage, and how they are viewed by targeted groups (e.g., women). However, there is a paucity of research on white racial allyship. There is a significant amount of research literature on marginalized populations’ various experiences in STEM fields. There are significantly less studies on structural inequity in STEM higher education spaces, and how white allies disrupt these inequities. These studies are necessary as interventions implemented to address minoritized populations’ negative experiences have not moved the needle significantly for minoritized students in STEM.

This paper presents an autoethnographic study on two researchers (a PI who is a Black man and a research assistant who is a white man) as they conduct a larger study on white male racial allyship in STEM higher education. Theoretical frameworks used for the larger study include whiteness, critical consciousness, and allyship. The study involved a survey, focus group and one-on-one interviews involving white men in STEM higher education. Preliminary results indicate that the researchers’ experiences in conducting the study differ due to their different intersectional identities, especially given the fact that the participants are from a privileged group. The results also suggest that white men’s allyship can increase due to interrogation of other white men, as well as mentoring by a PI of color. Thus, in this autoethnographic study, we will provide insights on the impact of equity research within the context of collaborative efforts between researchers from racially marginalized and privileged groups.

Citation
Format

Clarke, N. A., & Mondisa, J. (2023, June), White Male Allyship in STEM Higher Education: An Autoethnographic Study Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--44030

TY - CPAPER
AB - Research on allyship has increased in recent years as many higher education institutions seek to address issues that have resulted in a participation gap between white students and racially minoritized populations at predominantly white institutions (PWIs). White students have held a position of privilege in STEM higher education since the foundation of universities and colleges in the United States. In recent decades, marginalized populations have experienced increased access, but there still remains lower representation of minoritized individuals as compared to their white counterparts. One way to help increase representation is to create more white male allies who can help advocate for minoritized populations in STEM fields (e.g., recruiting underrepresented minority faculty).

An ally holds a position of power, and can help underrepresented populations persist in environments where they are marginalized. A white racial ally uses their position of power to help support racially minoritized individuals. White allies can leverage their positions of power to support racially minoritized populations’ (e.g., persons who identify as Black or LatinX) advancement in STEM fields. Allyship in higher education has been extensively detailed in research literature. This includes, defining allyship, how allies engage, and how they are viewed by targeted groups (e.g., women). However, there is a paucity of research on white racial allyship. There is a significant amount of research literature on marginalized populations’ various experiences in STEM fields. There are significantly less studies on structural inequity in STEM higher education spaces, and how white allies disrupt these inequities. These studies are necessary as interventions implemented to address minoritized populations’ negative experiences have not moved the needle significantly for minoritized students in STEM.

This paper presents an autoethnographic study on two researchers (a PI who is a Black man and a research assistant who is a white man) as they conduct a larger study on white male racial allyship in STEM higher education. Theoretical frameworks used for the larger study include whiteness, critical consciousness, and allyship. The study involved a survey, focus group and one-on-one interviews involving white men in STEM higher education. Preliminary results indicate that the researchers’ experiences in conducting the study differ due to their different intersectional identities, especially given the fact that the participants are from a privileged group. The results also suggest that white men’s allyship can increase due to interrogation of other white men, as well as mentoring by a PI of color. Thus, in this autoethnographic study, we will provide insights on the impact of equity research within the context of collaborative efforts between researchers from racially marginalized and privileged groups.

AU - Nagash Antoine Clarke
AU - Joi-Lynn Mondisa
CY - Baltimore , Maryland
DA - 2023/06/25
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - White Male Allyship in STEM Higher Education: An Autoethnographic Study
UR - https://peer.asee.org/44030
DO - 10.18260/1-2--44030
ER -