(Elon University)
Who encourages Black women to feel a sense of identity-safety in STEM environments?
Black women are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), and may experience social identity threat or a lack of belonging in STEM environments. Exposure to an identity-safety cue, such as a successful counterstereotypical exemplar or role model scientist, can potentially mitigate social identity threat concerns. However, past work has yet to examine the efficacy of identity-safety cues among individuals possessing multiple negatively stereotyped identities, such as Black women. In the present studies, we examined who acts as an effective identity-safety cue for Black women. As a secondary goal of the current studies, we also explored under what conditions allyship assuages social identity threat concerns among Black women. Together, these studies highlight the importance of allyship and access to Black exemplars and role models in interventions geared towards promoting Black women’s sense of belonging in STEM.
The colloquium will be held in Psychology Building 035.