Claiming Space in the Academic Landscape: Negotiating Spatial Belonging in Undergraduate Research

For traditionally underrepresented students, engaging in research experiences often means entering traditionally exclusive places with few role models that reflect their social identities. By looking at a small, public, minority-serving institution where students conduct summer research at other, less diverse institutions, this study explored the use of images posted to public blogs and written reflections as modes for students to demonstrate belonging in traditionally exclusive academic places. Spatial belonging is a conceptual framework that envisions how space and spatial dimensions influence a student’s sense of belonging. Through the lens of spatial belonging and visual rhetoric, the ways undergraduate researchers utilized public and reflective writing to claim space and belonging were examined. Study findings highlighted how students made exclusive spaces work for them and the important role faculty and institutions have in improving the spatial dimensions of research spaces and overall campus climate for traditionally underrepresented students.