FIT, FAITH, AND FAMILY: COUNTERSPACES FOR BLACK MALE VETERANS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Abstract

In response to calls to study the intersecting identities of race, gender, engineering, and veteran status, we examined the experiences of Black male student veterans in undergraduate engineering (BMSVEs). Black male veterans bring technical skills and worldviews shaped by their military and cultural experiences, which can strengthen the engineering profession. Therefore, we addressed the following question: What support systems do BMSVEs use to navigate engineering education at predominantly White institutions? In this study, we used narrative inquiry through seven interviews with BMSVEs and an identity exercise to share the participants' stories. We employed a counterspaces framework informed by veteran critical theory to learn about the counterspaces used by BMSVEs to find fit and succeed in engineering education. The results indicated that religion and family provide counterspaces for BMSVEs who report being marginalized and minoritized because of their race and veteran identity, respectively. While Black-focused counterspaces are important for traditional-age students developing their identities, they were not similarly important to many older BMSVEs with more developed identities. Although Student Veteran Association chapters served as counterspaces for some BMSVEs, this was not the case for all of our participants-perhaps because they perceived them to be White spaces. Our research showed that BMSVEs found fit in their engineering programs by engaging in one or more counterspaces that supported them on their educational journey. A loving family, a faith community, and ethnic- or veteran-focused organizations can serve in this role. The BMSVEs who found counterspaces were well equipped to thrive in engineering education.