queer studies – Social Justice Engineering

“A lot of the challenges I run into are a level of political disengagement in engineering”

I am so grateful for the write up about my research and activism done by Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Oregon State University.

Andrea Haverkamp is a PhD candidate in Environmental Engineering, with a minor in Queer Studies at Oregon State University. Her work is in engineering education, which explores the student and faculty experiences in engineering, right from curriculum to learning practices and pedagogy and also looks at diversity, inclusion and equity in the classroom.

Haverkamp is also President of the Coalition of Graduate employees (CGE), representing over 1800 graduate employees at OSU, “I think labor union activism is a critical action-oriented feminist praxis,” she says.

Read the article here, or click through for the text below.

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Advancing Nonbinary & Transgender Engineering Students at SWE Hawaiian Islands

I am so happy to share the full video and my slides from the May 25th 2019 SWE Hawaiian Islands event titled “More Work To Do in STEM for Diversity and Inclusion – A Conversation on Underrepresented Genders.” The event was so wonderful and opened up space to discuss Māhū gender in Native Hawaiian culture, (de)colonization and gender activism, trans & nonbinary experiences and identities, and where organizations such as the Society of Women Engineers can go to advance inclusion and support.

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Return of the Elwha

The following is a draft of a paper I am working on. At the moment it is stalled, on the back burner. I am interested in any thoughts, comments, critiques, or paths forward that this line of queer studies engagement in engineering ethics can achieve! Even if this never gets reworked or published, I wish to share this paper I wrote as part of my PHD exams. This is an example of the sort of scholarship I hope to engage in over my career on the side of traditional engineering education research. Engineering ethics is important and is a topic I hope to teach, write about, and research further.

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The trouble of reinforcing gender difference for women in engineering

Raising up role models without addressing misogynist gender-in-engineering culture leaves the root causes of gender discrimination unchecked and off of the hook. Phipps believes that recruitment and role models alone will not challenge gender stereotypes and may actually increase the perceptions of gender based difference.

What is wrong with the mantra and identity of “women engineers” as opposed to “engineers”? Is there trouble in saying boldly and loudly – our gender matters? Yes, and no. It’s complicated. We should talk about it and look at the research!

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Complexity of Nonbinary Inclusion in Engineering Culture

I presented the following paper on how rhetoric of diversity and inclusion does not go far enough for nonbinary students and peers – it requires us all to have a radical shift in our conceptualization of gender, no matter where we are as engineers.

This was presented at ASEE 125th Annual Exposition in Salt Lake City. Check it out, let me know what you think! Paper ID #22710

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On Being Included (in Engineering)

Pulling from the work of Sara Ahmed, I reflect on what “diversity work” means in an institution and what I have learned from her 2012 book.

Readers and peers will know from the onset that I am a big fan of Sara Ahmed. Her books Queer Phenomenology and Living a Feminist Life are texts I return to again and again. My research, my role, my career has turned towards “diversity, equity, inclusion” as buzzwords that flutter around the spaces I engage in.

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Phenomenology and Engineering Education Research

Moving towards methods defined as feminist requires moving beyond only considering the experience of the individual to further include context of the external forces which act upon the body.

An unpublished paper I wrote regarding phenomenology – its many flavors and its applications within engineering education research. “Qualitative and phenomenological methods are increasingly employed which use experience and narrative of individuals to shape emergent theoretical findings. I wish to open up this ‘black box’ and explore how phenomenology – in particular feminist and queer theory informed phenomenology – can complement dominant research methods within engineering education.”

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Building upon Patriarchy – Kyriarchy & Engineering

What can we do to move past a homogenous (white) women in engineering mindset?

Women are underrepresented in STEM. People of color, and especially women of color, experience a field that is often overtly hostile or “chilly”. LGBTQ individuals face rampant harassment and subtle forms of exclusion which create an alarming rate of hiding their identity.

You may notice that we are not struggling against a simple patriarchy – domination of men in society. It’s more than that. If we look at those who control our offices, institutions, congress, corporations, and White House, we see a clearer image of who tends to solidify themselves within positions of power.

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