An Exploration of the Intersectional Distribution of Physical, Social, and Emotional Resources in Engineering

This research paper explores intersectional (gender, race/ethnicity) differences in engineering students' access to physical (e.g., computers, books, etc.), social (e.g., prepared teachers), and emotional (e.g., caring peers) resources. The ability for students to access enriching and supportive resources may directly impact their interest and competence in STEM fields, which may, in turn, influence their pursuit of engineering careers. However, it is important to note that these resources are not equitably available to all students; access instead differs across gendered and racialized lines. Further, students at the intersections of racialized and gendered identities are likely to experience both forms of inequitable access separately and interactively, resulting in experiences with multiplicative inequalities. In this paper, we investigated variations in access to specific physical, social, and emotional resources of interest to our broader project using pilot data. To look at differences in resources across intersectional groupings, we used linear regression and observed both estimates and effect sizes. Our findings indicate that there are significant differences in Hispanic and Asian students' access to physical resources needed for study and practical work in comparison to dominant populations. These differences are further encapsulated by gender. Our findings also indicate that the same groups of students may not receive equitable emotional support. Our findings provide a nuanced understanding regarding some of the inequities faced by marginalized and minoritized students in engineering. Our future work further investigates the role of emotional resources in students' lives. Findings from this work and our future work will help researchers and practitioners better understand the issues faced by marginalized populations and provide potential solutions.