Introduction and Theoretical Frameworks Our study draws upon several theoretical foundations to investigate and explain the educational experiences of Black students majoring in ME, CpE, and EE: intersectionality, critical race theory, and community cultural wealth theory. Intersectionality explains how gender operates together with race, not independently, to produce multiple, overlapping forms of discrimination and social inequality (Crenshaw, 1989; Collins, 2013). Critical race theory recognizes the unique experiences of marginalized groups and strives to identify the micro- and macro-institutional sources of discrimination and prejudice (Delgado & Stefancic, 2001). Community cultural wealth integrates an asset-based perspective to our analysis of engineering education to assist in the identification of factors that contribute to the success of engineering students (Yosso, 2005). These three theoretical frameworks are buttressed by our use of Racial Identity Theory, which expands understanding about the significance and meaning associated with students’ sense of group membership. Sellers and colleagues (1997) introduced the Multidimensional Model of Racial Identity (MMRI), in which they indicated that racial identity refers to the “significance and meaning that African Americans place on race in defining themselves” (p. 19). The development of this model was based on the reality that individuals vary greatly in the extent to whichmore »
Beyond the Deficit Model: The Ambassador Approach to Public Engagement
Scientists are increasingly motivated to engage the public, particularly those who do not or cannot access traditional science education
opportunities. Communication researchers have identified shortcomings of the deficit model approach, which assumes that skepticism toward
science is based on a lack of information or scientific literacy, and encourage scientists to facilitate open-minded exchange with the public. We
describe an ambassador approach, to develop a scientist’s impact identity, which integrates his or her research, personal interests and experiences
to achieve societal impacts. The scientist identifies a community or focal group to engage, on the basis of his or her impact identity, learns about
that group, and promotes inclusion of all group members by engaging in venues in which that group naturally gathers, rather than in traditional
education settings. Focal group members stated that scientists communicated effectively and were responsive to participant questions and ideas.
Scientists reported professional and personal benefits from this approach.
- Award ID(s):
- 1906408
- Publication Date:
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10235780
- Journal Name:
- BioScience
- Volume:
- 69
- Issue:
- 4
- Page Range or eLocation-ID:
- 303-315
- ISSN:
- 2521-5760
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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