Sparking Action: How Emotions Fuel or Inhibit Advocacy around Hidden Curriculum in Engineering
Document Type
Conference Paper
Journal/Book Title/Conference
SEFI 47th Annual Conference
Publisher
European Society of Engineering Education
Location
Budapest, Hungary
Publication Date
9-16-2019
Award Number
NSF, Division of Engineering Education and Centers (EEC) 1653140
Funder
NSF, Division of Engineering Education and Centers (EEC)
First Page
1566
Last Page
1575
Abstract
Emotions are not typically addressed or valued in engineering. However, emotions may play a pivotal role as individuals within the field navigate the complexities of the hidden curriculum (HC) or the unofficial guidelines and rules that characterize a learning or working environments. These emotions may be especially relevant for underrepresent students and faculty who may feel isolated, alienated or overwhelmed by negative and unacknowledged HC. As part of the larger mixed methods study, 174 undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and administration in engineering programs across the U.S. were asked to reflect on the role of emotions in advocating for themselves or others to reveal HC in engineering programs. Participant responses were analyzed using a combination of thematic, process, pattern, and co-occurrence coding.
Findings revealed that HC advocacy requires: (1) awareness of the issue; (2) ignition (i.e., emotion); and (3) a sustaining force (e.g., confidence). The most prevalent emotions to fuel advocacy were anger, frustration, and passion; hope was present only after an ignition occurred. On the other hand, inhibited advocacy was a result of one of three factors: (1) disbelief; (2) lack of value; and (3) perpetuating the status quo. Apathy and contentment were associated with participants who thought that action was unnecessary (i.e., disbelief, lack of value) while fear, exhaustion, and hopelessness corresponded to participants who felt prevented from taking action (i.e., perpetuating status quo). Findings from this work highlight how emotions are critical in advocating for issues of inequity in engineering.
Recommended Citation
Gelles, Laura A.; Youmans, Kate L.; and Villanueva, Idalis, "Sparking Action: How Emotions Fuel or Inhibit Advocacy around Hidden Curriculum in Engineering" (2019). Engineering Education Faculty Publications. Paper 269.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/ete_facpub/269
