Connecting counterspaces and community cultural wealth in a professional development program

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study analyzes the relationship between two concepts from critical race theory – counterspaces and community cultural wealth. Counterspaces are supportive, identity-affirming community spaces, while community cultural wealth highlights the importance of the knowledge, skills, and networks used by individuals belonging to marginalized groups to successfully navigate academia. This study investigates the hypothesis that the processes operating within counterspaces serve to strengthen an individual’s access to their community cultural wealth. The study site is BRAINS, a U.S.-based professional development program for early-career academic neuroscientists from underrepresented groups. Findings revealed that two types of counterspace processes (narrative identity work and direct relational transactions) and three types of community cultural wealth (aspirational capital, social capital, and navigational capital) are most salient within BRAINS. After examining the complex interactions connecting counterspace processes and community cultural wealth, we offer recommendations for future professional development programs and research designed to broaden participation in academia.

KEYWORDS:

• Community cultural wealth
• counterspaces
• critical race theory
• diversity
• early-career academics

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the BRAINS community: our advisory boards, senior panelists, and, most of all, our participants. We would also like to thank the current and former UW ADVANCE Center for Institutional Change Program Operations Specialists: Laura Ciotti, Tori Gonsalves, and Alexis Nelson. The BRAINS program is funded through NINDS NIH grants R25NS076416 and R25NS094094. Any findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of NINDS or NIH.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke [R25NS076416,R25NS094094].