Explaining the Dearth of African Americans in Evolutionary Biology as a Function of Religiosity

• In Event: 30.081 - Poster Session 5
  In Poster Session: 30.081-4 - Science Learning and Teaching Posters II

Abstract

We explored a mechanism that may contribute to the absence of African Americans receiving advanced degrees in evolutionary biology. We hypothesized that African American college students would be more likely to reject evolution than their non-black peers and that this relationship would be mediated by religiosity. We surveyed 1,250 students in college biology classes and found that African American students scored lower on acceptance of evolution and that this relationship could be entirely explained by religiosity. Given that past research illustrates how evolution education does not always provide a safe space for religious individuals, this result further implies a need for cultural sensitivity in evolution education to foster ethnic and religious diversity in evolutionary biology.

Authors

• Elizabeth Barnes, Arizona State University

• Gale M. Sinatra, University of Southern California

• Sara Brownell, Stanford University