Description
Book SynopsisThis innovative work critically studies the contemporary problems of one segment of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. The lack of a diverse U.S.-based pool of talent entering the field of engineering education has been termed a crisis by academic and political leaders. Engineering remains one of the most sex segregated academic arenas; the intersection of gendered and racialized exclusion results in very few Latina engineers. Drawing on cutting-edge scholarship in gender and Latino/a studies, the book provides an analytically incisive view of the experiences of Latina engineers. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation through a Gender in Science and Engineering grant, the authors bridge interdisciplinary perspectives to illuminate the nuanced and multiple exclusionary forces that shape the culture of engineering. A large, multi-institution, longitudinal dataset permits disaggregation by race and gender. The authors rely on primary and secondary sources a
Trade ReviewThe Borderlands of Education: Latinas in Engineering provides a remarkable perspective of one particular group of students and how they have fared in engineering education. Utilizing an longitudinal database of student records from a number of large institutions, Camacho and Lord have employed an interdisciplinary, mixed-methods approach to create a rich description of the engineering educational pathways chosen by Latina students that can inform those who are invested in their success. -- B.A. Watford, Virginia Tech
After decades of engineering educators talking about women and minorities in engineering as two separate entities, Camacho and Lord offer the first book of its kind considering the experiences of Latina engineers. Bringing the best ideas from feminist theory and social theory to bear on engineering education, this groundbreaking work examines the experiences of Latina engineering students and calls out structural racism and sexism in engineering education. A must-read for anyone concerned about diversity in engineering, Camacho and Lord’s focus on the experiences of Latina engineers brings a nuanced perspective on gender, race, and cultural identities, and a sharp sociological analysis of engineering education that will challenge your assumptions about women and minorities in engineering. -- Donna Riley, Smith College
The Borderlands of Education: Latinas in Engineering is a highly accessible depiction of the gendered and racial social organization and hierarchies that endure in engineering education. In their examination of the situation for a specific, important and growing population group – Latinas, Camacho and Lord bring into the open the structural privileges of the majority. Since the cultures of engineering education cannot be expected to change until they have been sufficiently problematized, this report will help open the doors to the systemic reforms needed to develop a culture of inclusion in the education and profession for this critical discipline. This book should be high on the must-read list for engineering educators at all levels, from first-year faculty to deans. -- Susan E. Walden, the University of Oklahoma
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Acronym List Chapter 1: The Borderlands of Education Chapter 2: A Culture of Exclusion: Race, Gender, and Engineering Education Chapter 3: Debunking the Myths: Trajectories of Latinas in Engineering Chapter 4: Voices of Latinas in Engineering Chapter 5: Crossing Borders: Opportunities and Challenges Chapter 6: Conclusions References About the Authors Index
