Development of an Identity Shifting Scale for Black Women in STEM

• In Event: Advancing Science Identity Development in Diverse Students at the Intersection of Multiple Constructs and Contexts

Abstract

Strategies to build diversity in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields often focus on recruitment without addressing cultural inclusiveness in STEM fields (Rice, 2016). As such, according to the National Science Foundation (2017), Black women made up only 2% of the scientist and engineering workforce. In academic and workplace environments, Black women may receive messages about the unacceptability of their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors relative to Eurocentric standards (Jones & Shorter-Gooden, 2004). Consequently, Black women in STEM may attempt to mitigate the negative outcomes associated with experiences of gendered racism (combination of racism and sexism) by altering how they talk (code switching) and alter their physical appearance and behaviors, which is known as identity shifting (Dickens & Chavez, 2018). Although identity shifting has received some attention in the qualitative literature, there is limited quantitative research, particularly in STEM, on the phenomenon of identity shifting in the lives of Black women in STEM.

Using the phenomenological variant of ecological systems theory (PVEST) (Spencer, 1995) to explore experiences of individuals’ perceptions and responses to their environment and related characteristics, we ask how relevant, reliable, and valid is a new identity shifting scale instrument for Black women? PVEST illustrates how an individual’s ability to understand societal expectations, stereotypes, and biases influences how one will adapt to different cultural contexts across one’s lifespan (Gordon & Gergen, 1968; Spencer et al., 1997). As such, an individual may experience stress (e.g., gendered racism) due to risk contributors (e.g., being a token Black woman in STEM), and thus may develop coping strategies to mitigate the negative outcomes associated with discrimination, such as identity shifting. The current research utilized PVEST to conceptualize the validation of an instrument to measure identity shifting among Black women, particularly in STEM.

A 35-item instrument was developed to assess identity shifting based on previous literature, interviews, feedback from focus groups with Black women, and feedback from cultural experts. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted with a sample of 356 Black women enrolled in STEM undergraduate and graduate programs or working in the STEM field. A second independent sample of Black women (N = 289) in STEM were recruited to conduct confirmatory factor analysis. Preliminary results indicate that the instrument is composed of 6 factors (e.g., Code Switching and Assimilation, Perceptions of Black Women’s Double Jeopardy, Community Building with Black Peers, Expectations to Work Twice as Hard, Challenging the Angry Black Woman Stereotype, and Challenging the Jezebel Stereotype) and supports the utility and cultural relevance of identity shifting among Black women. Additionally, internal consistency estimates ranged from adequate to excellent. The scale’s construct validity was measured and supported given the significant correlations between identity shifting and theoretically related constructs, like gendered racial microaggressions (e.g., subtle gendered racism) and Black women’s stereotypical roles. This instrument can be used to inform programmatic decisions in STEM educational programs and can facilitate interventions that promote healthy identity development and management among Black women.

Authors

• Danielle Dickens, Spelman College

• Naomi Hall-Byers, Winston-Salem State University