Abstract
In this conceptual paper, I put forward an argument about the conceptualization of science identity as a landscape of becoming by placing emphasis on recognition and emotions, as core features of identity, through an intersectionality lens. These constructs intertwined, I argue, can give meaning to the process of becoming a science person or forming a science identity, and at the same time shed light on issues related to power, inequality, racism, and exclusion. In the context of these bigger issues, I argue that forming a science identity is not only personal, but also political. The need for intersectionality as a conceptual framework for studying science identity is underscored by the dearth of theory and empirical evidence that addresses classroom inequalities, as well as the multiple and interlocking influence of systems of privilege and oppression in science, such as racism and sexism. Recognition, which refers to how individuals are recognized by others as certain kinds of people, is an ineradicable part of our social world; it is bound within sociopolitical contexts and tied to specific cultural norms, values, beliefs, and stereotypes. Hence, recognition becomes of paramount importance in science identity research. However, critical questions still remain unanswered, such as who is allowed in the world of science and who is recognized as a science person in specific contexts? Directly linked to recognition, I argue, are different types of emotions which can offer a valuable lens for studying inequalities within the process of forming a science identity. What this means for science identity research is how important it is to explore the emotionality of science identity given that emotions are not just dialectically related but inextricably bound with (mis)recognition as well as with various systems of oppression.
Highlights
The day I went into physics class was death...A short dark man held a little wooden ball
Physics made me sick the whole time I learned it. - Sylvia Plath in The Bell Jar, (1971). This conceptual paper is born of questions that emerge from this quote: What science? Whose science? Is everyone welcome to science? How might scienceparticipation look like? How might scienceparticipation feel? How might we understand the politics of scienceparticipation? Can we imagine alternative and infinite ways of being/ becoming a science person? This paper aspires to engage readers in an exploration of these questions through the construct of science identity
We carry a bit of each as we go around. (p. 239). This process of becoming within various communities is at the heart of this conceptual paper, which is concerned with science identity, broadly defined as: the perception of oneself as well as recognition by others as a science person (Carlone and Johnson 2007)
Summary
My purpose in this conceptual paper is not to offer a review of existing knowledge base on science identity as that can be found elsewhere (i.e., Avraamidou 2014; Lee 2012; Varelas 2012). In the sections that follow, I provide definitions of intersectionality, recognition, and emotions alongside a discussion of their potential value in science identity research in light of existing knowledge base. I offer a discussion about recognition as a fundamental component of science identity and argue about the importance of adopting an intersectionality lens when examining the role of recognition on forming a science identity. I argue that emotions are tied up with recognition, and that adopting an intersectionality lens for examining the emotionality of science identity, we can illuminate the ways that power impacts identity formation at both the interpersonal and structural level. Before digging deeper into intersectionality, recognition, and emotions, a brief overview of the existing knowledge base of science identity is offered as a way of paving the ground for what will follow
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