A narrative exploration of the in/authentic experiences of Black engineering interns (Work in Progress)

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss the preliminary results of a project that explored the effect of internship experiences on racial and engineering identity development for nine Black engineering students, four women and five men. Specifically, within this paper we highlight the narratives of three participants and outline how their internship cultures affected the extent in which they could authentically be themselves in the workplace. This was done through an extension of Faulkner's concept of in/authenticity as a theoretical framework [1], [2]. To understand the experiences of the engineering students, our methodology followed steps outlined by narrative analysis approaches [3].Shortened narratives of three participants Stanley, Maya, and Evie (pseudonyms) are presented within this paper. Each of these participants had influential internship experiences that had explicit moments of in/authenticity, which is why we highlighted their narratives. These narratives illustrate how professionalism defined by whiteness was the catalyst for their inauthentic experiences. For example, Evie described masking parts of her identity and culture in the workplace, stating, "there's a mask that has to go on because it's just part of being a professional." The participants experienced authenticity when the workplace provided them comfort and they personally had strong identity.