Open AccessMaking the Invisible Visible: Affordances and Hindrances of Using Tangible Objects in Identity Research
Author(s) -
Amber Simpson
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
the qualitative report
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2160-3715
DOI - 10.46743/2160-3715/2018.3621
Subject(s) - affordance , identity (music) , sociology , epistemology , ring (chemistry) , position (finance) , psychology , social psychology , aesthetics , cognitive psychology , philosophy , chemistry , organic chemistry , finance , economics
The purpose of this manuscript is to highlight the role of tangible objects (i.e., rings) in understanding individual’s STEM identity, which in this study is defined as an interdisciplinary belief that an individual has about her or himself regarding science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The rings allowed participants to position themselves within STEM disciplines and to further illustrate and narrate this position through the various ring sizes, and for some, the spatial arrangement of the rings. However, the use of the rings seemed to limit participants to describing who they are within STEM in the moment, as well as not providing an opportunity to illustrate how micro- and macro-level external forces shaped their identity.