Curtis C. Cain

Stereotype threat: the case of black males in the IT profession

An interview-based investigation of Black males was conducted to identify how individual identity, individual influences and environmental influences affect the academic pipeline for Black male students. Semi-structured interviews, informed by the Individual Differences Theory of Gender and IT, were conducted with Black males at a Predominately White Institution (PWI) and Historically Black College and University (HBCU) regarding the presence of stereotypes and how they may have combated these barriers. The results revealed that stereotypes and stereotype threat are prevalent among Black males pursuing IT careers and influence self-efficacy, identity, the academic environment and career choice

Understanding underrepresentation in IT through intersectionality

Results of an investigation of the effect of intersectionality on perceptions of university students about IT careers are presented. This analysis deepens the discussion began at the 2011 iConference by presenting an examination of responses of African American males and females on the topic of gender norms and stereotypes about IT professionals. The findings provide evidence of the influence of race on gender stereotypes that individuals hold about the IT field. Gender differences in stereotypes reveal within-race variation in perceptions about the IT field. IT skills perceived by African American females as feminine are nearly identical to those found across all participants in the study. In contrast, African American males did not identify any skills as feminine. These results suggest that finer grained analysis of under representation in the IT field can be achieved by pursuing the intersectionality of gender and race.

Underrepresented groups in gender and STEM: the case of black males in CISE

The underrepresentation of Black males in the Information Technology and Computer, Information Science and Engineering (CISE) is a problem in academia and our society. Diversity and learning go hand in hand. People of different cultural, ethnic, religious, and societal backgrounds bring their various experiences with them when they come into a classroom. The more diverse the student, teacher and professor make-up, the more perspectives they can share about any given principle or concept. Therefore, heterogeneous classrooms contribute to diversity. Having a more ethnically diverse IT field can help with the recruitment and retention of minority undergraduate students through role modeling and mentoring. The findings from this research will add to the growing body of knowledge about interventions to address underrepresentation of certain populations in the IT field. But the particular contribution is that the focus is on minority males. Researching this topic at the undergraduate level would be a starting point, but future research would allow me to study graduate students and faculty in academia to further understand underrepresentation throughout the entire academic pipeline in IT.

Black Men in IT: Theorizing an Autoethnography of a Black Man's Journey into IT within the United States of America

This paper considers issues related to the diversity of the information technology (IT) workforce, inclusive of IT education and the cultural phenomenon that currently exists about Black mens underrepresentation in IT and the degree to which they identify with the IT field within the United States of America. We use autoethnography to examine the insights from the first authors lived experiences and entrance into the IT workforce to identify individual and group themes that exist, relate them to existing literature, and provide evidence of those obstacles being overcome using the Individual Differences Theory of Gender and IT. The purpose of this research is to provide a perspective, through an autoethnographic account, and application of theory that highlight factors that support or undermine the achievement of Black men completing IT degrees and entering the workforce. Methodologically, autoethnography has not been widely adopted within the information systems (IS) discipline but we provide evidence that it is a viable approach for discussing lived experiences utilizing an exemplar and supporting research for evaluating autoethnography. As scholars, even those with no direct affiliation with the impacted group, we have a duty to ensure that we are being as inclusive as possible, understand and appreciate the value of diversity, and are taking an active role in cultivating and empowering our students to enter, and remain, in the IT workforce.

Black Lives Matter: The Journey of a Black IT Scholar

In this paper, we focus on the lived experiences of a particular Black scholar in pursuit of a PhD in IT. The content of this paper was adapted from a dissertation that focused on identifying and analyzing the factors that support or undermine the achievement of Black males completing IT degrees and entering the workforce. The content of this paper centers around the factors that impacted the scholar. In light of the Black Lives Matter movement, we wanted to take a social issue and deconstruct it to apply it to academia. In order to accomplish this, we used a researchers lived experiences as a Black male for the data for this paper. By the scholars own admission, [blinded for review] has not reached the level of success that the scholar would like the scholar is still striving to reach those goals. These are goals that the likes of Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, Dontre Hamilton, Eric Garner, John Crawford III, Ezell Ford and countless others no longer have, which sparked the Black Lives Matter movement.

The Role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities in American STEM Education

This paper positions the discussion of leveraging Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the effort to increase diversity in STEM Education. STEM Education can be prominently featured at HBCUs with the outcome of producing STEM graduates that enter into technical fields. As HBCUs shift from their initial founding and look to achieve strategic success in other areas, STEM Education would seem to be a natural fit. However, as with many well-intentioned goals at HBCUs, the ability to be successful in STEM Education hinges on several criteria, including funding, external corporate partnerships and internal collaborations. Given the roadblocks that HBCUs face and have been able to overcome, thus far, anchoring themselves as a cornerstone in STEM Education could prove to be a shift they could master. We conclude with five research questions that should further be explored by HBCUs as an extension of their STEM Education goals. HBCUs are unique institutions that will continue to play a pivotal role in Americas postsecondary educational system. Participation in STEM education is just one of the many ways their role will continue to be solidified.