Bringing Together Women of Color's Communal Goals With Engineering and Computer Science's Communal Affordances

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: Graduate School and Workforce Transition

Abstract

Engineering and computer science (E&CS) are stereotypically perceived as being less aligned with people’s communal goals of helping and working with others (Boucher et al., 2017). This study shows how six women of color, students and professionals, in E&CS activated a particular form of community cultural wealth, called aspirational capital, by perceiving E&CS as having communal affordances, or allowing for communal aspects of work. The study further investigates how these women bring such affordances together with their own personal or professional communal goals. They also deploy their social capital by sharing their perceptions of E&CS as having communal affordances to others like themselves.

Authors

• Nuria Jaumot-Pascual, TERC

• Maria (Mia) Ong, TERC

• Christina Bebe, TERC

• Audrey E. Martinez-Gudapakkam