Experience, Exposure, and Expectations: A Framework for Developing a Science of Broadening Participation

Underserved and underrepresented communities have been studied from different perspectives. Nevertheless, until recently, little attention has been paid to integrating these different points of view into a cohesive discipline to support analyses of androcratic and gynocratic power asymmetries entrenched in social, cultural, and political institutions that result in governance policies that constrain the integration of underserved and underrepresented populations into the common weal. A framework for a science of broadening participation is presented that emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, methodological pragmatic, and a focus on the interdependencies among commodities, capabilities, and functionings to achieve human well-being a means to address the neglect of minority populations. Such a framework will not only support academic research but also the development of practical solutions by policy makers, educators, and workforce specialists.