Key Research Presentations
"Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose.
- Zora Neale Hurston
The South Carolina Sociological Association Annual Meeting, 2021 - Stacy Scott
Abstract
While many sociological studies have been done on the sense of belonging in students overall, research is sparse on how sociology and architecture interrelate, let alone in education. Sparser still are studies where the issue of diversity is conflated with education in the field of architecture. This study aims to examine the perspectives of graduates of Predominantly White Institution (PWI) architecture programs and the role that their experience had in their career choice after graduation. A total of six students participated in the in-depth interview included in the analyses. Coding of those interviews revealed that most graduate experiences fell within several themes: Belonging, Influence, Exclusion, Race, Space, and Demoralization. The findings of this study suggest that Black students do not feel a strong sense of belonging within studio culture, but in the cases that they do, it is found in an intergroup setting.
Environmental Design Research Association - Session 53
Abstract
Despite a decades-long dialogue on the importance of gender parity in the industry, measurable change has remained elusive within the architecture profession. Unfortunately, initiatives that have resulted in the significant advancement of diversity throughout the profession continue to remain rare. The marginalization of women is a significant area where this is still visible through the inequity present in the field’s character and demographic makeup. This marginalization is seen somewhat inconclusively through the disparate evidence of workplace discrimination faced by women in general.
There is a paucity of research on the impact of the architecture profession on the occupational health of women. In response, a case study of one southeastern state utilized a state-wide survey to explore gender disparities in the architecture profession. The purpose of the research was to gather a consensus on where the state stands on issues of equity and explore the barriers and facilitators for advancement in the workforce or profession.
Negative Space
Dissertation Research
Increasing the level of diversity in architecture has been a focus of the American Institute of Architecture (AIA) and many other professional organizations. It is an open secret that architecture as a field has had historical difficulty attracting minority students and practitioners (Caulfield, 2016). There is a considerable amount of research in the area of Black students in higher education; however, there is a significant lack of architecture research, with students of color and the specific aspects of the Black students’ experience remaining largely unexplored.
This study seeks to contribute to the body of knowledge on architecture education and best places to incite change concerning the paradigm of stakeholders in architecture education. The goal of this research is to include recommendations from this study that will bring diversity sensitivity to the forefront of the conversation in architecture education as students of all identities transition into the workplace culture and take everything they’ve learned— explicit and implicit—with them into practice.
This study plans to examine how the physical environment of studio and its auxiliary spaces interact with the social environment for Black students. The aim of data collection is to find the link between physical, social environment, and Black students’ architecture identity and sense of belonging in the studio setting.
Application Materials
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