Gender Microaggressions within the Lived Experiences of Women in

158 Pages·2016·1.01 MB·English

University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Trace: Tennessee Research and Creative
Exchange
Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School
12-2015
You Kind of Have to Prove It: Gender
Microaggressions within the Lived Experiences of
Women in Engineering
Crystal Rose Diaz-Espinoza
University of Tennessee - Knoxville,
To the Graduate Council:
I am submiting herewith a dissertation writen by Crystal Rose Diaz-Espinoza entitled "You Kind of
Have to Prove It: Gender Microaggressions within the Lived Experiences of Women in Engineering." I
have examined the fnal electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it
be accepted in partial fulfllment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a
major in Higher Education Administration.
J. Patrick Biddix, Major Professor
We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance:
Dixie Tompson, Barbara Tayer-Bacon, Susan Martin
Accepted for the Council:
Carolyn R. Hodges
Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
(Original signatures are on fle with ofcial student records.)
You Kind of Have to Prove It: Gender Microaggressions within the
Lived Experiences of Women in Engineering

A Dissertation Presented for the
Doctor of Philosophy
Degree
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Crystal Rose Diaz-Espinoza
December 2015
ii

Copyright © Crystal Rose Diaz-Espinoza

All rights reserved.
iii

Dedication

This dissertation is dedicated to those who believed in me. Specifically, I dedicate this
work to my grandfather, Dr. Tony C. Diaz, whose support, expectations, and love inspired and
motivated me to pursue this degree. I also dedicate this work to my family. To my husband,
Mito, who has been my never-ending source of support and motivation and my parents, Dudley
and Martha Diaz, who have always put my needs above their own and sacrificed so that I can
achieve my dreams. Also, to my brother, Brandon Diaz, who has been a quiet yet reassuring
presence in my life reminding me to always laugh. To my grandmother, Maria Diaz, who has
helped shape me into the woman I am today; and to my grandparents, Beto and Esther Leal, who
have been my constant source of encouragement, unwavering prayer and comfort of home. I love
each of you.
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Acknowledgements
I would first like to thank my major professor, Dr. J. Patrick Biddix, Associate Professor
of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, for guiding me through this
process. His patience and willingness to let me find my way gave me the motivation I needed to
create and finish a project that is particularly meaningful to me. I am grateful for his guidance
and encouragement.
I would also like to thank the members of my committee: Dr. Barbara Thayer-Bacon,
Professor of the Educational Psychology and Counseling Department, Dr. Dixie Thompson,
Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Recreation & Sports Studies, and Dr. Susan Martin,
University of Tennessee Provost. Their input and guidance helped in the completion of a
successful project. I am grateful for their willingness to serve on this committee.
I wish to thank my family for their support and patience during the last five and a half
years. My husband, Mito, has been my constant pillar throughout this process and has sacrificed
more late nights and weekends than I can count. His unwavering support came in ways in which
even I did not expect. I will forever feel blessed to have him as a life partner and hope I can be
the same support to him. Additionally, my parents, Dudley and Martha Diaz, supported me in
this journey. They have never doubted my ability to be successful and their love and support has
been a constant source of comfort in my life. My brother, Brandon Diaz, has also been a source
of comfort, unbeknownst to him, by reminding me to find reasons to smile in times of stress.
I also owe a heartfelt thanks to the rest of my family, especially my grandparents, Beto
and Esther Leal and Tony and Maria Diaz, from whom I find my determination and strength.
Each of them has supported me in their own way and I have sought to make them proud with
everything I do. I also want to thank the rest of my family, from uncles and aunts to cousins and
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godparents; there is not a corner of my life not filled with love and support. I am blessed beyond
measure to have such an unbelievable family.
Wholehearted thanks to the faculty members, friends, and colleagues, who helped me
complete this project, be it directly giving me advice or just listening to me ramble about my
interviews. In particular, I need to thank Dr. Margaret Sallee who has made me a better writer in
every way possible. Her encouraging words motivated me in ways she will never know.
Additionally, I would like to thank Dr. Adam Ecklund. He changed my life when he offered me
an assistantship in the working with engineering and computing students. Not only did I find a
mentor in him; I found my passion for helping students succeed. He has been and always will be
a role model to me. I also want to personally thank Dr. Penny Rheingans. Her guidance, support,
and genuine enthusiasm for this project gave me the confidence and motivation to persist. There
are too many others to name personally, but to anyone who offered encouragement and support
throughout this process, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Finally, to the countless women I have worked with over the years in engineering and
computing majors. Your determination and willingness to persist within an environment that
deters you continues to be the driving factor in my research. To the women in CWIT, not a day
goes by that I don’t consider myself lucky to know you. In particular, I will forever be motivated
by, indebted to and in awe of the women who were brave enough to tell their stories for this
study. I could not have done this without your willingness to share your experiences. Thank you
for your courage.
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Abstract
This intrinsic case study explored the lived experiences of women within three
engineering majors at a mid-sized institution in the Mid-Atlantic using gender microaggressions
(Nadal, 2010; Sue, 2007) as a theoretical lens. Data included individual interviews with 28
participants as well as document review from Web pages and observations from physical spaces
within the campus engineering building. Data analysis resulted in seven themes in congruence
with Sue’s (2007) taxonomy of gender microaggressions and further established the three levels
of gender microaggressions distinguished by Nadal (2010). Findings also revealed that barriers
within engineering were less visible or outwardly sexist, and that gender microaggressions
shaped the experiences of undergraduate women in engineering majors by creating an
atmosphere in which women feel the need to prove they belong. Implications suggest the
importance of administrators charged with overseeing engineering programs finding ways to
help women feel more supported and socialized with one another within engineering departments
and the need to educate faculty and staff working with students about the effects of subtle
messaging on women.
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Background and Context ............................................................................................1
Statement of Problem .......................................................................................................................2
Purpose of Study ..............................................................................................................................3
Research Question ...........................................................................................................................3
Background/Context ........................................................................................................................4
Significance......................................................................................................................................4
Theoretical Framework ....................................................................................................................5
Organization of Study ......................................................................................................................7
Chapter 2 Review of Literature ....................................................................................................8
Disparity of Women in STEM .........................................................................................................8
Recruitment. .............................................................................................................................8
Lack of role models. ...............................................................................................................11
Unwelcoming culture .............................................................................................................12
Socialization ...................................................................................................................................13
Engineering as a Masculine Profession .........................................................................................15
Undergraduate Experiences of Women in Engineering .................................................................18
Chilly Climate ........................................................................................................................19
Classroom. ....................................................................................................................19
Pedagogy. .....................................................................................................................21
Curriculum. ..................................................................................................................21
Gender Microaggressions ..............................................................................................................23
Summary ........................................................................................................................................27
Chapter 3 Design and Methodology ...........................................................................................29
Site Selection .................................................................................................................................30
Participant Selection ......................................................................................................................31
Data Collection and Procedures .....................................................................................................31
Data Analysis Process ....................................................................................................................33
Reporting Data ...............................................................................................................................36
Reliability .......................................................................................................................................36
Limitations .....................................................................................................................................37
Ethical Considerations ...................................................................................................................39
Reflexivity and Positionality..........................................................................................................40
Chapter 4 Presentation of Findings............................................................................................42
The Setting .....................................................................................................................................43
Engineering Building ..............................................................................................................44
Entrance ........................................................................................................................44
First Floor Atrium .........................................................................................................44
Hallways .......................................................................................................................46
Classroom Spaces .........................................................................................................47
Signage ..........................................................................................................................50
Summary .......................................................................................................................51
Web Pages ......................................................................................................................................51
College Homepage ..................................................................................................................51
Engineering Web Pages .........................................................................................................53
Mechanical Engineering ...............................................................................................53
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Chemical Engineering ...................................................................................................54
Computer Engineering ..................................................................................................55
Interview Analysis .........................................................................................................................57
Negative Peer Interactions and Perceptions ...........................................................................57
Unwelcoming Environment ...................................................................................................67
Invisible Environmental Influences ........................................................................................76
Gender Labeling .....................................................................................................................79
Perceptions of the Engineering Major ....................................................................................84
Expectations of the Engineering Industry ..............................................................................90
Barriers to Help-Seeking ........................................................................................................96
Proving Herself .....................................................................................................................100
Summary ......................................................................................................................................106
Chapter 5 Discussion, Implications and Recommednations .................................................108
Findings Linked to Gender Microaggressions Taxonomy...........................................................110
Levels of Gender Microaggressions .....................................................................................117
Microassaults ...............................................................................................................117
Microinsults .................................................................................................................118
Microinvalidations .......................................................................................................120
Unexpected Findings ............................................................................................................121
Congruence with Chilly Climate Research ..........................................................................124
Adding to Gender Microaggressions Literature ...................................................................126
Implications for Practice and Policy ............................................................................................128
Future Research ....................................................................................................................131
Concluding Thoughts. ..................................................................................................................132
References. ..................................................................................................................................133
Appendices. .................................................................................................................................143
Vita. .............................................................................................................................................147