Re-Engineering the Culture: Perspectives of the Feminine-Identifying and Queer Engineering Student

The inclusion of queer and feminine-identifying students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is an issue which expresses ample discussion, yet little action. Students belonging to these groups face barriers relating to identity of group and self, peer exclusion and intolerance, and trivialization of their work. This paper reviews the literature of 21st century United States and Canada on this topic, expanding into closely related topics, including underrepresentation, cultural cis-heteronormativity, essentialism, and marginalization. It reveals the firsthand experiences of students affected by the cultures of their engineering faculties, as well as their attempts to either persevere through the repression of identity or remain sidelined by their environment. This narrative literature review provides solutions based on research, including EDI curriculum implementation, supportive student clubs, queered survey methods and moderated language. These solutions offer direction for future research efforts and provide methods on scales small or large to improve inclusion in engineering education.