By Allison Henrich (@KnottyAllison) and Shanise Walker

On May 22, 2021, we attended the workshop “Creating a Better Summer Experience: A DEI Workshop for REU Directors and Faculty Mentors,” organized by Pamela Harris and hosted by the Center for Minorities in the Mathematical Sciences. One of the featured speakers was Carol Bennett, Assistant Provost at Youngstown State University. A fascinating person herself (look for an interview of her here on Math Values on August 26, 2021). Ms. Bennett spoke on ways to combat stereotype threat, “a socially premised psychological threat that arises when one is in a situation or doing something for which a negative stereotype about one's group applies” (Steele & Aronson, 1995). She had the following nine practical suggestions we’d like to share with you.

1. Remove cues that trigger worries about stereotypes

   Many of us have heard of the studies that showed that, when test takers were reminded of their race and gender before taking a math test, those students who were members of a negatively stereotyped group were less likely to perform well on the test (Steele & Aronson, 1995; Danaher & Crandall, 2008). These studies have shown us, in a narrow sense, that we should not ask for demographic information before asking students to perform some task on which they will be evaluated.

   But there are broader implications. If there are visual cues in your physical space that remind people they are not members of the dominant (e.g., white, hetero, cis-gender) group, they are less likely to succeed. So, when you next go to campus, do so with fresh eyes. What message is this physical space sending to students? Do pictures on the wall feature a wide variety of mathematicians, or are there pictures of professors and current or former students who are all or mostly from a certain dominant group of people?

2. Convey that diversity is valued

   Why is diversity important? What has our community lost by actively excluding people who are not members of the dominant group? How many people have we lost who might have contributed new, creative ideas to our discipline? How many problems have gone unsolved? How many questions are unanswered? (See, for example, the story of William Claytor in the Report of the Task Force on Understanding and Documenting the Historical Role of the AMS in Racial Discrimination.) If you know why diversity is important, communicate that to your students. If you don’t, take some time to think about the question. Educate yourself (e.g., by reading the report cited above), and share what you learn with your students—and not just your students of color and non-male students, but with everyone.

3. Create a critical mass

   Studies have shown that women and other minority students perform better when they are working alongside people who share their social identity (Steele, 2010). So, if you are the director of a program for students, such as an REU, aim to not just admit “token” minorities. Work towards assembling a diverse group of students, where those from groups that are historically underrepresented in math make up a significant proportion of your cohort.

   Also, be aware of the social identities of program directors, mentors, invited speakers, and others in positions of authority. Are all of these people white men? If so, this sends a message to students about who does and who doesn’t succeed in mathematics. You can counteract this effect by inviting women and minority speakers to your campus to give math talks. The Center for Minorities in the Mathematical Sciences has a database of mathematicians to facilitate finding speakers here.

4. Create fair tests and assessments

   In #1, we discussed avoiding asking students for demographic information before tests, but what about the tests themselves? To avoid stereotype threat, we should create fair assessments. This could mean including word problems that students from different groups can relate to, avoiding those that will alienate students from non-dominant groups. It could also mean framing tests as learning tools, not simply fixed indicators of innate ability (Good et al., 2008; Spencer et al., 1999, Steele & Aaronson, 1995). Assessing student learning from a growth mindset perspective leads to better outcomes than assessments designed to determine “intelligence” (Dweck, 2007).

5. Value students’ individuality

   Being from a minoritized group in math is to be both seen and unseen. In Candice Price’s story in the book Living Proof: Stories of Resilience Along the Mathematical Journey, she talks about how in graduate school, she was one of two “bigger” Black women in her program. She and the other woman would constantly be mistaken for one another by other students and faculty. This made her feel like she wasn’t being valued for who she was as an individual, which made her journey towards a PhD a more strenuous, uphill climb.

   Studies have shown that students from groups who are targets of negative stereotypes are especially vigilant for cues that they do not belong (Walton & Carr, 2012), and when they observe these cues, it hinders their ability to succeed. Everyone wants to be seen and valued for their unique strengths, but this is especially true for students who are not part of the dominant culture. Keep this in mind when working with groups of students.

6. Improve cross-group interactions

   Facilitating friendships between students of different social identities can help reduce social anxiety so that everyone feels a sense of belonging, a key ingredient for students to thrive (Page-Gould et al., 2008). One way to help students move in this direction is by reminding them of similarities between different groups (Rosenthal & Crisp, 2006). If you are working with a diverse group of students, consider how you can help friendships develop between students from different groups.

7. Present positive role models from diverse groups

   In #1 and #3, this idea was touched on, but it is so important that it should be underscored. There are some women in mathematics who never took a course from another woman mathematician until late in their graduate education. There are some Black men who, as undergraduates, weren’t sure that Black mathematicians existed. Is it possible for your students to have such experiences and misconceptions? Who are your students’ teachers? Which speakers get invited to give big lectures or colloquium talks in your department? Which conferences are your students being encouraged to attend? Will there be women, Latinx, trans, or Black mathematicians there? Will the accomplishments of mathematicians with disabilities be featured? If your department lacks diversity, consider including assignments in your classes that involve students learning about mathematicians from different backgrounds. Carolyn Otto shares some great ideas along these lines in the Math Values blog here. The AMS Living Proof blog provides some more practical suggestions here.

8. Help students manage feelings of stress and threat

   Knowing about stereotype threat can reduce its impact. If students from minority groups are taught about stereotype threat, when they experience anxiety, they will have the tools to understand that this might be caused by stereotype threat and may not be a genuine sign that they are at risk of failure (Johns, Schmader & Martens, 2005). So, as you’re planning the first day of a math enrichment program for students or the first day of a class, consider educating your students about stereotype threat. It may have a more significant, positive impact than you’d expect!

9. Support students’ sense of belonging

   Everybody struggles, but few of us know this about each other. We need to be better about sharing our stories of adversity and feelings of inadequacy to help others know that they’re not alone. Just because someone is having a hard time understanding math concepts or relating to the interests of other mathematicians doesn’t mean they don’t belong in the mathematics community. For one thing, math is hard, even for “math geniuses.” (See, for instance, Terrence Tao’s Living Proof story.)

   Furthermore, every mathematician is an individual with different interests and strengths. In fact, some of the most interesting people in STEM have found ways to combine their unique interests with math (see, for instance, Tim Chartier’s Living Proof story).

   Another way we can support students’ sense of belonging is by using our networks to connect students with others they may be able to find common interests with. For example, when I (Shanise) first entered the math community, I only knew one Black mathematician with a PhD. He introduced me to so many others, several of whom serve as mentors for me today. I was also introduced to many who study combinatorics, like me.

   So, be vulnerable with your students, expose them to the rich diversity in our community, and help them find a home here where they can be their authentic selves. Let them know that everyone is welcome in the math community.

References:

1. Danaher, Kelly, and Christian S. Crandall. "Stereotype threat in applied settings re‐examined." Journal of Applied Social Psychology 38, no. 6 (2008): 1639-1655.

2. Dweck, Carol S.. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. United States: Ballantine Books, 2007.

3. Good, Catherine, Joshua Aronson, and Jayne Ann Harder. "Problems in the pipeline: Stereotype threat and women's achievement in high-level math courses." Journal of applied developmental psychology 29, no. 1 (2008): 17-28.

4. Johns, Michael, Toni Schmader, and Andy Martens. "Knowing is half the battle: Teaching stereotype threat as a means of improving women's math performance." Psychological science 16, no. 3 (2005): 175-179.

5. Page-Gould, Elizabeth, Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton, and Linda R. Tropp. "With a little help from my cross-group friend: reducing anxiety in intergroup contexts through cross-group friendship." Journal of personality and social psychology 95, no. 5 (2008): 1080.

6. Rosenthal, Harriet ES, and Richard J. Crisp. "Reducing stereotype threat by blurring intergroup boundaries." Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 32, no. 4 (2006): 501-511.

7. Spencer, Steven J., Claude M. Steele, and Diane M. Quinn. "Stereotype threat and women's math performance." Journal of experimental social psychology 35, no. 1 (1999): 4-28.

8. Steele, Claude M. Whistling Vivaldi: How stereotypes affect us and what we can do. WW Norton & Company, 2011.

9. Steele, Claude M., and Joshua Aronson. "Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans." Journal of personality and social psychology 69, no. 5 (1995): 797.

10. Walton, Gregory M., and Priyanka B. Carr. "Social belonging and the motivation and intellectual achievement of negatively stereotyped students." (2012).

Allison Henrich is a Professor of Mathematics at Seattle University. She divides her time between math-ing and spending time with her two little ones.

Shanise Walker is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. When she is not doing math, Shanise likes to try out new vegan recipes.