Engineering a Brighter Future: Increasing the Representation of Women of Color in Engineering
Date
2020-12-01
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Abstract
The engineering field is predominantly composed of white males, with little representation of women or people of color. Women of color are represented even less in the engineering field due to their intersectional identities combining both gender and race. Overall, minority women do not conform to the traditional engineering student or the ideal worker norm,
causing challenges for these engineers. The structure of engineering education prevents women of color from receiving the same opportunities as men, women, and men of color because of social pain, stereotypes, and discrimination. Also, the engineering workplace is not welcoming to women of color because of social isolation, implicit bias, and institutional housekeeping. This project will take a closer look at the existing research as well as perform some research of its own through interviews and journal investigations. This project will suggest practical ways for university heads and workplace managers to allow and encourage women of color to pursue a career in engineering. This will include social support networks, diversity workshops, implicit bias training, and equal workload distribution. Using these suggestions, women of color will face fewer challenges and have more representation in both engineering education and engineering careers. Engineering culture will be transformed to involve and welcome diversity and inclusion of women of color.
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Engineering, Education, Workplace representation, Women, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), Diversity, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) -- women, 2020 Sophomore Research Conference, Social justice, Intersectionality