A Critical Examination of Diversity in Makerspaces

Jonathan Standiford | Library Science | Beronica Avila

Abstract

Makerspaces have struggled to recruit a diverse audience despite being poised to “democratize” access to technology. This tends to be attributed to STEM primarily appealing to white middle-class men, erecting barriers, explicit and invisible, that exclude other social groups. This runs contrary to the ideal of “democratizing” access to technology, one of the founding ideals of makerspaces.

The WeatherTech Innovation Lab is a recent addition to Dominican University and given the university’s high population of 1st generation Hispanic students and African American students, diversity needs to be constantly considered when forming policy. As such, this will serve as an examination on how effectively the Innovation Lab has been able to appeal to a diverse group of people as well as challenges the lab faces in the process.