Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Graduate Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 2019 “Speaking truth to power and to the people”: Scientist bloggers of color as public intellectuals Lisette E. Torres-Gerald Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd Part of the Educational Administration and Supervision Commons, and the Science and Mathematics Education Commons Recommended Citation Torres-Gerald, Lisette E., "“Speaking truth to power and to the people”: Scientist bloggers of color as public intellectuals" (2019). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 17584. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/17584 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. “Speaking truth to power and to the people”: Scientist bloggers of color as public intellectuals by Lisette E. Torres-Gerald A dissertation submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major: Education (Educational Leadership) Program of Study Committee: Isaac Gottesman, Co-major Professor Nana Osei-Kofi, Co-major Professor Lorenzo Baber Manali Sheth Anne Foegen The student author, whose presentation of the scholarship herein was approved by the program of study committee, is solely responsible for the content of this dissertation. The Graduate College will ensure this dissertation is globally accessible and will not permit alterations after a degree is conferred. Iowa State University Ames, IA 2019 Copyright © Lisette E. Torres-Gerald, 2019. All rights reserved. ii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my abuelita Vidalina Casiano (1925-2010), the second oldest of 12 children who grew up in poverty in Puerto Rico and migrated to the mainland U.S. to work in a factory for pennies and government cheese. Though she only made it to the third grade, she knew the value of an education and supported my dream of becoming a doctor. Not a day goes by where I do not miss her. Te amaré y te extrañaré siempre, Grandma. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... vi ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1 The Problem-Space ..................................................................................................................... 2 Significance of the Problem-Space ............................................................................................. 5 Questions About the Problem-Space........................................................................................... 7 Inquiry Overview ........................................................................................................................ 8 Situating Myself Within the Work .............................................................................................. 9 Overview of Dissertation Chapters ........................................................................................... 13 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ...................................................................................... 15 What is a Public Intellectual? .................................................................................................... 15 Class-based, counter-hegemonic perspectives ...................................................................... 17 Intellectuals as a separate, elite group ................................................................................... 23 Black intellectualism and coalitions across difference .......................................................... 26 Review of Media Coverage on Public Intellectuals in Higher Education................................. 29 Scientists and Communication with the Public ......................................................................... 32 Science Blogging....................................................................................................................... 36 Science Identity ......................................................................................................................... 39 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................ 45 Theoretical Anchors .................................................................................................................. 46 Critical race theory ................................................................................................................ 46 Intersectionality ..................................................................................................................... 47 Science identity...................................................................................................................... 50 Inquiry Method – Virtual Ethnography ..................................................................................... 51 Research Design ........................................................................................................................ 53 Blogs ...................................................................................................................................... 53 Interviews .............................................................................................................................. 55 Participants ............................................................................................................................ 57 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 58 iv Trustworthiness ......................................................................................................................... 60 Limitations ................................................................................................................................ 61 CHAPTER 4: UNVEILINGS ....................................................................................................... 62 Racially Gendered Science Identities ........................................................................................ 63 Starting and staying in science .............................................................................................. 63 General costs and benefits of blogging.................................................................................. 69 Trying to put “expertise and networks to serve” – Exclusion in STEM ............................... 74 Alice’s blog post on Black hair in the lab .......................................................................... 74 March for Science examples .............................................................................................. 77 Arliner’s “livin’ in a Venn” ............................................................................................... 83 Performance of Public Intellectualism ...................................................................................... 86 Nuts and bolts of the work ..................................................................................................... 86 Alice’s use of humor and cultural relevance in blogs ........................................................ 88 Everett’s take on jargon ..................................................................................................... 90 Guabancex’s focus on being “a more conscious communicator” ...................................... 92 Putting “expertise and networks to serve” – Collaboration and solidarity ............................ 95 Multiple, intentional forms of engagement can reaffirm identity ......................................... 97 Racially Gendered Public Intellectualism Online and Off ........................................................ 99 Negotiating being “conspicuously invisible” online ........................................................... 100 Cultural pride and engagement not for everyone ................................................................ 105 Guabancex’s story on being told she’s White .................................................................. 105 Everett’s story on embracing being a Black man ............................................................ 107 We all can’t be Neil DeGrasse Tyson .............................................................................. 109 Disrupting Master Narratives .................................................................................................. 110 Putting “expertise and networks to serve” ........................................................................... 111 Recasting public intellectualism .......................................................................................... 112 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION ................................................................................................... 118 Discussion ..............................................................................................................................