Suchergebnisse

The underrepresentation of African Americans in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(STEM) degree programs and professional spaces has been a national concern for years. This
phenomenon has prompted the development and implementation of various programs and initiatives
to increase access to and sustain their participation in STEM. Of considerable importance, African
American men only represent three percent of the scientists and engineers working in the field. However,
there are few studies that have explored the academic and professional experiences of African
American men through critical, holistic perspectives. This project utilizes critical race theory (CRT)
and phenomenological variant ecological systems theory (PVEST) to magnify the experiences of Black
men in STEM across academic and professional ranks. Through this combined CRT and PVEST lens,
analyzing the challenges and navigational strategies of Black men in STEM, we reveal that Black
men in STEM minimize their vulnerability to stereotypes and biases through resistance and resilience.
Moreover, the utilization of a virtual counterspace as the research context for conversation between the
participants provided a unique interventional approach that fostered rich intergenerational dialogue
that enhanced both navigational and resistance capital for the participants. Implications for research
and praxis are provided.

AbstractRecently there has been an uptake in the call for research that explores race and racism within the context of psychology. Researchers can use Critical Race Theory (CRT) to do so. However, scholars within the field of psychology may confront growing pains when integrating psychology research with CRT due to their respective inquiry worldviews—postpositivism and critical—which result in several tensions pertaining to the framing of research and methods. These tensions may limit the uptake of CRT in psychology and may cause people to struggle to understand CRT. Therefore in this article, we describe (a) CRT and related frameworks, (b) tensions when integrating CRT into psychology, and (c) strategies to attenuate the tensions. Additionally, we highlight the importance of identity and the political choice of using CRT. It is critical for psychology researchers to challenge dominant postpositivist research inquiry worldviews and deconstruct what is considered "legitimate knowledge." By doing so, we can (a) validate experiences and vast forms of knowledge that shape the reality of People of Color and our families, communities, and cultures and (b) challenge systems of oppression.