To Code-Switch or Not to Code-Switch: The Psychosocial Ramifications of Being Resilient Black Women Engineering and Computing Doctoral Students

Exploring the impact of “onlyness” among Black women doctoral students in computer science and engineering.

“…Black women have their competency challenged as both doctoral candidates and graduate assistants in STEM by their students and faculty alike and often use code-switching to cope with these experiences (Artis et al, 2018). However, code-switching is exhausting and takes a mental and emotional toll on Black women (M. C. Shavers & Moore, 2014a, 2014bSpencer et al, 2022).…”

“…By the time these women transition to the STEM workforce, the impact of these experiences results in many Black women leaving the STEM field (Haygood, 2021). Those who stay in the field are often left with emotional stress due to the discrimination they experience at the intersection of their race and gender (Spencer et al, 2022).…”

“…The information provided in this article is part of a larger research study (Artis et al, 2018;Spencer et al, 2021Spencer et al, , 2022 whose primary purpose is to answer the following research questions: What are the experiences of Black women doctoral students in CSE, and how do those experiences impact their overall well-being?…”

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Given the continuous underrepresentation of Black women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields (Artis et al, 2018;Spencer et al, 2022), this study delves into the nuanced experiences of Black women doctoral candidates in computer science and engineering. Central to this exploration is the multifaceted mental health impact of "onlyness"-a term developed through this research to encapsulate the unique challenges these women face due to their significant underrepresentation.

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Oceanography’s Diversity Deficit: Identifying and Addressing Challenges for Marginalized Groups

“…The prevailing standards of professionalism in science represent the dominant culture (White, cisgender, heteronormative, able-bodied, and male; Gray, 2019). Certain types of clothing (e.g., turbans or hijabs), hairstyles (e.g., afros, braids, or dreadlocks), body types (e.g., obese; Haney et al, 2021), Lack of Representation and behaviors (e.g., feminine or gendernonconforming) are seen as unprofessional in the work environment (Harrison-Bernard et al, 2020), compelling individuals to engage in code switching by adjusting their speech, behavior, names, or appearance (Kim et al, 2019;McCluney et al, 2021;Allen and Stewart, 2022;Ock, 2022;Spencer et al, 2022;Traylor-Knowles et al, 2023).…”