Inside the double bind: A Synthesis of empirical research on undergraduate and graduate women of color in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics

Harvard Educational Review

Volumn 81, Issue 2, 2011, Pages 172-208

  Ong, Maria ^a   Wright, Carol ^a   Espinosa, Lorelle L ^b   Orfield, Gary ^c  

^a TERC   (United States)

^b Institute for Higher Education Policy   (United States)

^c UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 79959192545     PISSN: 00178055     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.17763/haer.81.2.t022245n7x4752v2     Document Type: Article

References (105)

1. Advisory Committee for GPRA Performance Assessment [ACGPA]. (2009). Report of the Advisory Committee for GPRA Performance Assessment. Report 09-68. Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation.
2. Alfred, L. J., Atkins, C., Lopez, M., Chavez, T., Avila, V., and Paolini, P. (2005). A science pipeline pathway for training underrepresented students in the biomedical sciences. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, 11(1), 45-60.
3. Andrade, E. J. (2007). Latino college students: A study of collaboration and community building in a math first year experience. Doctoral dissertation. Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database, Publication No. 304771202.
4. Anzaldúa, G. (1987). Borderlands/La frontera. San Francisco: Aunt Lute Books.
5. Bellisari, A. (1991). Cultural influences on the science career choices of women. Ohio Journal of Science, 91(3), 129-133.
6. Bement, A. . Comments to the Advisory Committee for the GPRA Performance Assessment (AC/GPA). National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA.
7. Bonous-Hammarth, M. (2000). Pathways to success: Affirming opportunities for science, mathematics, and engineering majors. Journal of Negro Education, 69(1/2), 92-111.
8. Brown, N. W. (1997). Description of personality similarities and differences of a sample of black and white female engineering students. Psychological Reports, 81(2), 603-610. (Pubitemid 127460617)
9. Brown, N. W., & Cross, E. J., Jr. (1997). Coping resources and family environment for female engineering students. College Student Journal, 31(2), 282-288.
10. Brown, S. V. (1994). Underrepresented minority women in graduate science and engineering education. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.
11. Brown, S. V. (1995). Testing the double bind hypothesis: Faculty recommendations of minority women fellowship applicants. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, 2(4), 207-223.
12. Brown, S. V. (2000). The preparation of minorities for academic careers in science and engineering: How well are we doing? In G. Campbell, R. Denes, & C. Morrison (Eds.), Access denied: Race, ethnicity, and the scientific enterprise (pp. 239-269). New York: Oxford University Press.
13. Brown, S. W. (2000). Female and male Hispanic students majoring in science or engineering: Their stories describing their educational journeys. Doctoral dissertation. Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database, Publication No. 304615391.
14. Brown, S. W. (2002). Hispanic students majoring in science or engineering: What happened in their educational journeys? Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, 8(2), 123-148.
15. Brownlee, B. A. (2004). The impact of mathematics self-efficacy on Hispanic and Latino females' consideration of mathematics-related occupations. Doctoral dissertation. Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database, Publication No. 305124722.
16. Burlew, A. K., & Johnson, J. L. (1992). Role conflict and career advancement among African American women in nontraditional professions. Career Development Quarterly, 40(4), 302-312.
17. Burrelli, J. (2009, October). Women of color in STEM education and employment. Paper presented at the Mini-Symposium on Women of Color in STEM, Arlington, VA.
18. Carlone, H. B., & Johnson, A. (2007). Understanding the science experiences of successful women of color: Science identity as an analytic lens. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 44(8), 1011-1245.
19. Cheryan, S., & Bodenhausen, G. V. (2000). When positive stereotypes threaten intellectual performance: The psychological hazards of "model minority" status. American Psychological Society, 11(5), 399-402.
20. Chinn, P. W. U. (1999). Multiple worlds/mismatched meanings: Barriers to minority women engineers. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 36(6), 621-636. (Pubitemid 129534730)
21. Chipman, S. F., & Thomas, V. G. (1987). The participation of women and minorities in mathematical, scientific, and technical fields. Review of Research in Education, 14(1), 387-430.
22. Chowdhury, S., & Chowdhury, T. (2007, June). Increasing enrollment of minority women in engineering. Paper presented at the American Society for Engineering Education, Honolulu, HI.
23. College Board. (2010). Educational Attainment by Race/Ethnicity and Gender. New York: Author. Retrieved from http://trends.collegeboard.org/ downloads/education-pays/PDF/ Educational-Attainment-by-Race-Ethnicity-and- Gender.pdf
24. Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering [CEOSE]. (2009). 2007-2008 Biennial Report to Congress. Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation.
25. Crawford, M., & MacLeod, M. (1990). Gender in the college classroom: An assessment of the "chilly climate" for women. Sex Roles, 23(3/4), 101-122.
26. DeVault, M. L. (1996). Talking back to sociology: Distinctive contributions of feminist methodology. Annual Review of Sociology, 22, 29-50. (Pubitemid 126416247)
27. Dickey, C. A. (1996). The role of quality mentoring in the recruitment and retention of women students of color. Doctoral dissertation. Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database, Publication No. 304267372.
28. Ellington, R. (2006). Having their say: Eight high-achieving African-American undergraduate mathematics majors discuss their success and persistence in mathematics. Doctoral dissertation. Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database, Publication No. 305304604.
29. Espinosa, L. (2008). The academic self-concept of African American and Latina(o) men and women in STEM majors. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, 14(2), 177-200.
30. Espinosa, L. (2009). Pipelines and pathways: Women of color in STEM majors and the experiences that shape their persistence. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. University of California, Los Angeles.
31. Ethington, C. A., & Wolfle, L. M. (1988). Women's selection of quantitative undergraduate fields of study: Direct and indirect influences. American Educational Research Journal, 25(2), 157-175.
32. Fuller, L., & Meiners, E. (2005). Reflections: Empowering women, technology, and (feminist) institutional changes. Frontiers: A Journal of Women's Studies, 26(1), 168-181.
33. Giguette, M. S., Lopez, A. M., & Schulte, L. J. (2006, October). Perceived social support: Ethnic and gender differences in the computing disciplines. Paper presented at the 36th Annual Frontiers in Education Conference, San Diego, CA.
34. Glaser, B., & Strauss, A. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory. Hawthorne, NY: Aldine.
35. Gonzales, P. M., Blanton, H., & Williams, K. J. (2002). The effects of stereotype threat and double-minority status on the test performance of Latino women. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28(5), 659-670. (Pubitemid 41269807)
36. Grandy, J. (1998). Persistence in science of high-ability minority students: Results of a longitudinal study. Journal of Higher Education, 69(6), 589-620. (Pubitemid 128153266)
37. Green V. County School Board of New Kent County, 391 U.S. 430 (1968).
38. Guevara, H., Jr. (2007). Achieving the dream: Success of Hispanic students in developmental math courses in a Texas community college. Doctoral dissertation. Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database, Publication No. 304898027.
39. Gwilliam, L. R., & Betz, N. E. (2001). Validity of measures of math- and science-related selfefficacy for African Americans and European Americans. Journal of Career Assessment, 9(3), 261-281. (Pubitemid 33683042)
40. Hackett, G., Casas, M., Betz, N. E., & Rocha-Singh, I. A. (1992). Gender, ethnicity, and social cognitive factors predicting the academic achievement of students in engineering. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 39(4), 527-539.
41. Hall, P. Q. (1981). Problems and solutions in the education, employment and personal choices of minority women in science. Washington, DC: American Association for the Advancement of Science.
42. Hanson, S. L. (1996). Lost Talent: Women in the sciences. Philadelphia: Temple University.
43. Hanson, S. L. (2004). African American women in science: Experiences from high school through the post-secondary years and beyond. NWSA Journal, 16(1), 96-115.
44. Hanson, S. L. (2006). African American women in science: Experiences from high school through the post-secondary years and beyond. In J. M. Bystydzienski & S. R. Bird (Eds.), Removing barriers: Women in academic science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (pp. 123-141). Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
45. Heller, R. S., & Martin, C. D. (1994). Attracting young minority women to engineering and science: Necessary characteristics for exemplary programs. IEEE Transactions on Education, 37(1), 8-12.
46. Huang, G., Taddese, N., Walter, E., & Peng, S. S. (2000). Entry and persistence of women and minorities in college science and engineering education. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.
47. Johnson, A. (2005). Policy implications of supporting women of color in the sciences. Journal of Women, Politics and Policy, 27(3), 135-150. (Pubitemid 43812962)
48. Johnson, A. (2007). Unintended consequences: How science professors discourage women of color. Science Education, 91(5), 805-821.
49. Johnson, D. (2007). Sense of belonging among women of color in science, technology, engineering, and math majors: Investigating the contributions of campus racial climate perceptions and other college environments. Doctoral dissertation. Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database, Publication No. 304850760.
50. Joseph, J. (2007). The experiences of African American graduate students: A cultural transition. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
51. Justin-Johnson, C. (2004). Good fit or chilly climate: An exploration of the persistence experiences of African-American women graduates of predominantly White college science programs. Doctoral dissertation. Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database, Publication No. 305172242.
52. Leggon, C. B., & Pearson, W., Jr. (1997). The baccalaureate origins of African American female Ph.D. scientists. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, 3(4), 213-224.
53. Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., Sheu, H., Schmidt, J., Brenner, B. R., Gloster, C. S., Wilkins, G., Schmidt, L. C., & Lyons, H. (2005). Social cognitive predictors of academic interests and goals in engineering: Utility for women and students at historically Black universities. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52(1), 84-92. (Pubitemid 40128968)
54. Lopez, A. M., Jr., Giguette, M. S., & Schulte, L. J. (2006, March). Large dataset offers view of math and computer self-efficacy among computer science undergraduates. Paper presented at the ACM Southeast Regional Conference, Melbourne, FL.
55. Lugones, M. (1994). Purity, impurity, and separation. Signs, 19(2), 458-479.
56. MacLachlan, A. J. (2006). The graduate experience of women in STEM and how it could be improved. In J. M. Bystydzienski & S. R. Bird (Eds.), Removing barriers: Women in academic science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (pp. 237-253). Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
57. Malcom, S. M., Hall, P. Q., & Brown, J. W. (1976). The double bind: The price of being a minority woman in science (No. 76-R-3). Washington, DC: American Association for the Advancement of Science.
58. Maple, S. A., & Stage, F. K. (1991). Influences on the choice of math/science major by gender and ethnicity. American Educational Research Journal, 28(1), 37-60.
59. Maxwell, J. A. (1996). Qualitative research design: An interactive approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
60. Meiners, E., & Fuller, L. (2004). Empowering women? Engaging a technology grant for social change. Journal of International Women's Studies, 5(4), 1-19. (Pubitemid 40659764)
61. Mullen, A. L., & Baker, J. (2008). Gender, race, and the ethnic segregation of science fields in U.S. universities. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, 14(2), 159-176.
62. National Academies. (2010a). Rising above the gathering storm, revisited: Rapidly approaching category 5. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
63. National Academies. (2010b). Expanding underrepresented minority participation: America's science and technology talent at the crossroads. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
64. National Center for Education Statistics. (2009). Digest of Education Statistics 2009, table 41. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/ d09/tables/dt09-041.asp
65. National Research Council [NRC]. (2006). To recruit and advance: Women students and faculty in science and engineering. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
66. National Science Foundation [NSF], Division of Science Resources Statistics. (2007). Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in science and engineering. NSF 07-315. Retrieved from http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/ pdf/nsf07315.pdf
67. National Science Foundation [NSF], Division of Science Resources Statistics. (2009). Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in science and engineering. NSF 09-305. Retrieved from http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/ pdf/nsf09305.pdf
68. Nave, F., Frizell, S., Obiomon, P., Cui, S., & Perkins, J. (2006, June). Prairie view A&M university: Assessing the impact of the STEM-enrichment program on women of color. Paper presented at the WEPAN 2006 National Conference, Pittsburgh, PA.
69. Nelson, D. J. (2007). A national analysis of minorities in science and engineering faculties at research universities. Norman: University of Oklahoma.
70. Nelson, D., & Rogers, D. C. (2004). A national analysis of diversity in science and engineering faculties at research universities. Norman: Department of Chemistry, University of Oklahoma.
71. Nettles, M. T. (1990). Success in doctoral programs: Experiences of minority and white students. American Journal of Education, 98(4): 494-522.
72. Obama, B. (2009). Remarks by the president at the National Academy of Sciences annual meeting. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press- office/
73. Ong, M. (2002). Against the current: Women of color succeeding in physics. Doctoral dissertation. Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database, Publication No. 304803810.
74. Ong, M. (2005). Body projects of young women of color in physics: Intersections of gender, race, and science. Social Problems, 52(4), 593-617. (Pubitemid 43149353)
75. Ong, M. (2010). The mini-symposium on women of color in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM): A summary of events, findings, and suggestions. Cambridge, MA: TERC. Retrieved from http://www.terc.edu/work/ 1408.html
76. Ong, M., Wright, C., Espinosa, L., & Orfield, G. (2010, March 31). Inside the double bind: A synthesis of empirical research on women of color in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. White paper presented to the National Science Foundation, Washington, DC (NSF/REESE Project DRL-0635577). Retrieved from http://www.terc.edu/ work/1513.html
77. Ortiz, F. I. (1983, April). The recruitment and retention patterns of Hispanic American women in college. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Montreal, Canada.
78. Rodriguez, A. J. (1997). Counting the runners who don't have shoes: Trends in student achievement in science by socioeconomic status and gender within ethnic groups. Madison: National Institute for Science Education, University of Wisconsin.
79. Russell, M. L., & Atwater, M. M. (2005). Traveling the road to success: A discourse on persistence throughout the science pipeline with African American students at a predominantly white institution. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 42(6), 691-715. (Pubitemid 41162248)
80. Sader, J. L. (2007). Beyond the first "click": Women graduate students in computer science. Doctoral dissertation. Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database, Publication No. 304898121.
81. Santiago, A. M., & Einarson, M. K. (1998). Background characteristics as predictors of academic self-confidence and academic self-efficacy among graduate science and engineering students. Research in Higher Education, 39(2), 163-198.
82. Satcher, D. (2001). Our commitment to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities. Yale Journal of Health Policy Law and Ethics, 1, 1-14.
83. Schimmel, D. B. (2000). Developing science talent in minority students: Perspectives of past participants in a summer mentorship program. Doctoral dissertation. Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database, Publication No. 304597242.
84. Shain, C. H. (2002). Revisiting the problem of engineering school persistence in African-American women students. Doctoral dissertation. Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database, Publication No. 304798888.
85. Smyth, F. L., & McArdle, J. J. (2004). Ethnic and gender differences in science graduation at selective colleges with implications for admission policy and college choice. Research in Higher Education, 45(4), 353-381. (Pubitemid 39046108)
86. Solórzano, D. G. (1994). The baccalaureate origins of Chicana and Chicano doctorates in the physical, life, and engineering sciences: 1980-1990. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, 1(4), 253-272.
87. Solórzano, D. G. (1995). The doctorate production and baccalaureate origins of African Americans in the sciences and engineering. Journal of Negro Education, 64(1), 15-32.
88. Sosnowski, N. H. (2002). Women of color staking a claim for cyber domain: Unpacking the racial/ gender gap in science, mathematics, engineering and technology (SMET). Doctoral dissertation. Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database, Publication No. 275796259.
89. Staniec, J. F. O. (2004). The effects of race, sex, and expected returns on the choice of college major. Eastern Economic Journal, 30(4), 549-562. (Pubitemid 40067308)
90. Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1998). Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
91. Tate, E. D., & Linn, M. C. (2005). How does identity shape the experiences of women of color engineering students? Journal of Science Education and Technology, 14(5-6), 483-493. (Pubitemid 43305751)
92. Taylor, D. (2009). The environment and the people, 1600s-1900s: Disorder, inequality, and social change. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
93. Trenor, J. M., Yu, S. L., Waight, C. L., Zerda, K. S., & Sha., T-L. (2008). The relations of ethnicity to female engineering students' educational experiences and college and career plans in an ethnically diverse learning environment. Journal of Engineering Education, 97(4), 449-65.
94. U.S. Census Bureau. (2009). National population estimates: Characteristics. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/popest/national/asrh/NC- EST2005-asrh.html
95. U.S. Census Bureau. (2011). Statistical abstract of the United States 2011, Table 6, p. 10. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/ 2011/tables/11s0006.pdf
96. Valenzuela, Y. (2006). Mi fuerza/My strength: The academic and personal experiences of Chicana/ Latina transfer students in math and science. Doctoral dissertation. Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertation and Theses database, Publication No. 304916976.
97. Varma, R. (2002). Women in information technology: A case study of undergraduate students in a minority-serving institution. Bulletin of Science, Technology, and Society, 22(4), 274-282.
98. Varma, R., & Galindo-Sanchez, V. (2006). Native American women in computing. In E. M. Trauth (Ed.) Encyclopedia of gender and information technology (pp. 914-919). Hershey, PA: Idea Group Publishing.
99. Varma, R., Prasad, A., & Kapur, D. (2006). Confronting the "socialization" barrier: Crossethnic differences in undergraduate women's preference for IT education. In J. M. Cohoon & W. Aspray (Eds.), Women and information technology: Research on underrepresentation (pp. 301-322). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press
100. Varma, R., & Hahn, H. (2007). Gender differences in students' experiences in computing education in the United States. International Journal of Engineering Education, 23(2), 361-367.
101. Vogt, K. E. (2005). Asian American women in science, engineering, and mathematics: Background contextual and college environment influences on self-efficacy and academic achievement. Doctoral dissertation. Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database, Publication No. 304996659.
102. Whitten, B. L., Foster, S. R., & Duncombe, M. L. (2003). What works for women in undergraduate physics? Physics Today, 56(9), 46-51.
103. Whitten, B. L., Foster, S. R., Duncombe, M. L., Allen, P. E., Heron, P., McCullough, L., Shaw, K. A., Taylor, B. A. P., & Zorn, H. M. (2004). "Like a family": What works to create friendly and respectful student-faculty interactions. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, 10(3), 229-242
104. Wright, C., & Ong, M. (2010). Technical report for the "Inside the Double Bind" project: Creating a synthesis of empirical research on women of color in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Cambridge, MA: TERC.
105. Wu, L., & Jing, W. (2009, October). Asian women in STEM careers: A forgotten minority with a glass ceiling? Paper presented at the Mini-Symposium on Women of Color in STEM, Arlington, VA.