Black Americans’ Views of and Engagement With Science
Focus groups with Black and Hispanic Americans
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- Black Americans’ Views of and Engagement With Science
- Comparatively small shares of Black adults see science, engineering jobs as ‘open’ to Black people
- 54% of Black adults see a spur to more young Black people in STEM from more role models, high achievers
- U.S. Black population
- Majorities of Black Americans are familiar with misconduct in the Tuskegee study, have concerns about ongoing potential for serious cases of research misconduct
- Younger Black women more likely to have had a range of negative health care experiences
- Majorities of Black Americans have engaged with COVID-19 information
- Large majority of Black college graduates working in STEM jobs can recall a positive experience in STEM classes from their most recent school experience
- Relatively few Black adults say Black people have found highest levels of success as scientists
- Scientists, engineering professions rated among the lowest for openness to Black people in these jobs
- Black adults with postgraduate degrees are less likely to view medical doctors, engineers as very welcoming to Black people in these jobs
- 44% of Black high school graduates say someone made them feel excited about their abilities in STEM
- Majority of Black college graduates working in STEM jobs recall positive classroom experiences
- Half of Black adults see lack of access to quality education, lack of mentors as major reasons young people don’t pursue STEM degrees
- Black adults with higher levels of education more likely to see lack of mentors as a reason young people may not pursue STEM
- Majority of Black college graduates say more examples of Black high achievers in STEM would encourage young Black people to study STEM fields
- Black Americans express most confidence in medical scientists, scientists to act in the public interest
- Older Black adults are more likely to have strong confidence in scientists to act in public’s interests
- Black adults rate medical researchers’ competence more positively than their accountability
- Black adults who are more familiar with what medical researchers do see them in a more positive light
- Three quarters of Black adults have heard or read at least a little about the Tuskegee syphilis study
- Older Black adults more likely to say they have heard or read a lot about the Tuskegee syphilis study
- Majority of Black adults say medical research misconduct is just as likely to occur today as in the past
- 55% of Black adults say that research misconduct is at least a moderately big problem
- Black adults attribute health inequities to less access to quality care, range of other reasons
- Majorities of Black adults with higher levels of education see range of factors contributing to worse health outcomes for Black people
- 47% of Black adults say health outcomes for Black people have improved over past 20 years
- Majority of Black adults give positive ratings to the quality of health care they’ve received most recently
- 40% of Black adults say they’ve had to speak up to get proper medical care
- Younger Black women more likely to say they’ve had negative health care experiences
- Younger Black women are especially likely to say they prefer to see a Black doctor for routine care
- Most Black adults view Black doctors as about the same as others at providing them health care
- Younger Black women are especially likely to say a Black health care provider is better than others at providing quality medical care
- Engagement with news and information varies across science-related topic areas
- Black Americans report a mix of reactions to science-related news
- Majorities of Black adults say they can rely on experts for information on science-related topics
- College-educated Black adults are more inclined to say they can rely on experts for information related to science
- A majority of Black adults say there have been public events about the coronavirus in their community
- A majority of Black adults are at least somewhat interested in science news
- Men and older Black adults express more interest in following science news
- American Trends Panel recruitment surveys
- Invitation and reminder dates
- Weighting dimensions
- Table shows unweighted sample sizes and error attributable to sampling expected at the 95% level of confidence
- Response rates
- Black adults with postgraduate education more likely to have positive as well as negative STEM schooling experiences
- Black Americans who had a same-race high school teacher in STEM more likely to say someone encouraged them, helped show relevance of STEM for their career
- Older Black adults have more positive views of medical researchers’ competence, caring than younger Black adults
- Most Black Americans are skeptical that medical researchers admit their mistakes all or most of time
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