Affective Inequalities beyond Heteronormativity. Impostor Feelings, Wellbeing and Belonging in STEM Students in the UK and India
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| Title: | Affective Inequalities beyond Heteronormativity. Impostor Feelings, Wellbeing and Belonging in STEM Students in the UK and India |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Daniel Leyton (ORCID |
| Source: | Educational Review. 2026 78(1):39-60. |
| Availability: | Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 22 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, College Students, LGBTQ People, Sex, STEM Education, Minority Group Students, Student Welfare, Sense of Belonging, Self Concept, Negative Attitudes, Psychological Patterns, Expectation, Behavior Standards, Social Behavior |
| Geographic Terms: | United Kingdom, India |
| DOI: | 10.1080/00131911.2024.2438877 |
| ISSN: | 0013-1911 1465-3397 |
| Abstract: | STEM in higher education has been framed as a central site to boost the knowledge-based economy. Within this context, gender equality and mental health have been of primary concern. However, the affective inequalities experienced by STEM students with marginalised "sexual orientations and gender identities" -- SOGI -- remain underexplored. In this article, we drew on Butler's work on the heterosexual matrix and Ahmed's gendered notion of affective economy to analyse students' impostor phenomenon experience in relation to wellbeing and belonging. Based on a sample of STEM students from Indian and UK universities and articulating statistical analyses with feminist affective politics of interpretation, we identified affective inequalities that were significantly intense in marginalised SOGI students. These inequalities were indexed in higher levels of impostor feelings associated with fear, disappointment, self-doubt and unworthiness; lower levels of wellbeing; and precarious sense of belonging. Importantly, when we intersected gender and sexual orientations, these experiences of affective inequalities became more visible. We highlight the relevance of both taking heteronormativity from an affective lens and going beyond assumed heterosexualities in the study of inequalities in STEM fields in higher education. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1502722 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| Abstract: | STEM in higher education has been framed as a central site to boost the knowledge-based economy. Within this context, gender equality and mental health have been of primary concern. However, the affective inequalities experienced by STEM students with marginalised "sexual orientations and gender identities" -- SOGI -- remain underexplored. In this article, we drew on Butler's work on the heterosexual matrix and Ahmed's gendered notion of affective economy to analyse students' impostor phenomenon experience in relation to wellbeing and belonging. Based on a sample of STEM students from Indian and UK universities and articulating statistical analyses with feminist affective politics of interpretation, we identified affective inequalities that were significantly intense in marginalised SOGI students. These inequalities were indexed in higher levels of impostor feelings associated with fear, disappointment, self-doubt and unworthiness; lower levels of wellbeing; and precarious sense of belonging. Importantly, when we intersected gender and sexual orientations, these experiences of affective inequalities became more visible. We highlight the relevance of both taking heteronormativity from an affective lens and going beyond assumed heterosexualities in the study of inequalities in STEM fields in higher education. |
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| ISSN: | 0013-1911 1465-3397 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/00131911.2024.2438877 |
