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Creating opportunities for engagement and building community utilizing geek culture in a residential education department

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Creating opportunities for engagement and building community utilizing geek culture in a residential education department

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Content Running head: ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 1

CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT AND BUILDING COMMUNITY
UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE IN A RESIDENTIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

by

Emily Therese Sandoval

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

May 2018

Copyright 2018 Emily Therese Sandoval

ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 2
Dedication
I dedicate this to all the geek college students. May you find your place on your
respective campuses with a group of people who accept you and where you can openly geek out
about all the things that make you happy.
I also dedicate this to my cousin, Natalie Ann Rangel-Diaz. While you left this earth
when I was four weeks into this program, I carry your strength, dedication, love, and humor with
me always.

“The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.” –Buffy the Vampire Slayer
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 3
Acknowledgements
Writing this dissertation has been a journey and one I could not have done without the
support of family, friends, and colleagues. To the USC Residential Education department from
2014-2017: thank you for your patience as I left the office to attend class and for the constant
encouragement. Your energy carried me forward throughout this program.
I would like to thank my committee: Dr. Patricia Tobey, Patrick Crispen, and Briana
Hinga for taking me seriously and showing an interest in my topic. You allowed me to
incorporate my work at Comic-Con into an academic study and I will forever be grateful.
I was very fortunate to have a Tuesday cohort of wonderful people. To the original group
of Jonathan, Divina, and Shireetha: “hey, I think you’re really cool, I like you a lot, maybe we
can hang out or something.” Thank you for being my sounding board, my support, and my
people. We got through our coursework together! To my writing group, Cheryl, Jenee, Anthony,
Julie and Lisa: thank you for all the weekend writes, the coffee shop trips, the snacks, and the
long, seemingly never-ending hours of writing. We did it! A special shout out to Jonathan for
keeping me grounded, listening to my freak out moments, and transitioning (successfully, I
might add) to the Director level, together, while in the program.
To Dr. Alan Green and Dr. Darnell Cole: your guidance throughout this process was
appreciated and invaluable. Having you both in my corner as I started and finished this program
means a lot to me.
To the original GeekEd group, Al Day, Alex Belisario, Tyler Miller, and Ryan McRae.
Thank you for connecting our geek identity to our work! To Al: thank you for planting the seed
of this dissertation topic after we presented at Comic-Con in 2011. I might have looked at you
funny when you suggested I go back to school and turn our work into a dissertation, but you
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 4
were right. To Alex Belisario and Dr. Kimberly Lau: I could not have done this without you
both. Thank you, sincerely, from the bottom of my heart.
To my nephews and nieces (Thomas, Alicia, Eli, Leah, Benito, Lili, and Graciela), to my
Godchildren (Alexa and Joshua), and to all the children in my life especially Madeline, Alina,
Liliana, Tomas, Charlie, Cathy, Peyton, Regan, Hailey and Lucy: I love you all and hope I can
be a role model for you. No matter what people say, be true to yourselves. You can do anything
or be anything you set your mind to. Also, sorry I missed out on some of the fun the past 3 years.
To my family especially the Sandoval’s, Summer Sandoval’s, Zalma’s and
McKenzie’s—thank you for your patience and your support. I will have time to visit soon!
To my mom and dad, Aida and Tom: Thank you for laying the foundation for my success
and for showing me the true meaning of perseverance. I am so lucky to have you in my corner
always believing in me and being two of my biggest fans. To my sister and brother—Dr. Denise
Sandoval and Dr. Tomas Summers Sandoval---get ready, because your little sister is about to
join you as a Doctor! You both paved the way for me by going away to college, showing me that
academia could be fun, and pursuing your goals. I am an incredibly lucky little sister and I thank
you for being amazing role models to me.
And finally, to my husband Jacques: we have come full circle from the days we met in
Student Union 200 at USC and sat in our PASA classes. By this time next year, both of us will
have completed our doctoral degrees. I am proud to be your wife and partner in this crazy student
affairs life we live. I cannot wait for the adventures that await us both once we are done. Thank
you for always believing in me, for calming me down when I am stressed, cooking me food to
make sure I eat, and for adding to my Funko POP collection as motivation while I wrote my
dissertation. We have lots of TV and movies to catch up on!
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 5
Table of Contents
Dedication 2
Acknowledgements 3
List of Tables 7
List of Figures 8
Abstract 9
Chapter One: Overview of the Study 10
Background of the Problem 10
Statement of the Problem 11
Purpose of the Study 13
Research Questions 15
Significance of the Study 15
Limitations and Delimitations 16
Definition of Terms 17
Organization of the Study 19
Chapter Two: Review of the Literature 21
Geek Identity 22
Definition 22
Disengagement From Mainstream Society 23
Engagement Within the Geek Community 25
Geeks Today 30
Student Development Theory 33
Mattering and Sense of Belonging 33
Theory of Involvement 40
Impacts on Sense of Belonging 41
Social Networks and Community 42
Retention 44
Summary 46
Chapter Three: Methodology 48
Research Methods 49
Qualitative Methods 49
Sample and Population 50
Instrumentation and Data Collection 51
Validity and Reliability 57
Data Analysis 58
Summary 58
Chapter Four: Results 59
Participant Profiles 59
Administrators 60
Students 61
Geek Defined 62
Elements of Geek 64
Geek Community 67
Connection 71
Engagement 75
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 6
Programming 75
Importance 80
Students 81
Administrators 82
Conclusion 84
Chapter Five: Discussion 86
Discussion of Findings 88
Research Question One 89
Research Question Two 92
Research Question Three 96
Limitations 101
Implications for Practice 102
Future Research 104
Conclusion 104
References 106
Appendix Interview Protocols 111

ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 7
List of Tables
Table 1: Qualitative Instruments and How They Connect to the Conceptual Framework 52
Table 2: Interview Protocol for First-Year Students 53
Table 3: Interview Protocol for Students of Senior Standing 54
Table 4: Interview Protocol for Residential Life Administrators 56
Table 5: Administrators 61
Table 6: Students 61
Table 7: Research Questions, Themes, and Literature 88

ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 8
List of Figures
Figure 1: Illustration of sense of belonging (Strayhorn, 2012). 39

ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 9
Abstract
The goal of this dissertation was to understand how geek identity can be used to create
opportunities for engagement and to build community for undergraduate students at a four-year
public institution in a residential college setting. Schlossberg’s theory of marginality and
mattering and Astin’s theory of involvement were used a framework to understand the impact on
sense of belonging for college students who identify as geeks, with geeks being a socially
marginalized group. This case study consisted of interviews with five students and five
administrators and an examination of artifacts such as advertisements and assessment from past
geek programming. Findings were analyzed utilizing the constant comparative method, and
implications for practice are discussed as they relate to residential life and student affairs
administrators to result in programs or interventions that can be adapted at other universities. The
findings concluded that incorporating geek culture had positive impacts by supporting student
interest and encouraging involvement in the residential college. Additionally, administrators can
impact students’ sense of belonging to the university by showing their geek identity through
formal and informal interactions and supporting student programming.

Key Words: Geek Culture, Geek Identity, Sense of Belonging, Involvement, Marginality &
Mattering, Residential College

ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 10
CHAPTER ONE: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
This dissertation examined how student affairs administrators create opportunities for
student engagement outside of the classroom to foster a sense of belonging and involvement,
oftentimes without a clear focus on what student interest encompasses. If administrators do not
intentionally engage students around their interests, students will not become involved or feel a
strong connection to campus, which is critical for success at a university (Astin, 1984; Strayhorn,
2012). Intentional engagement opportunities offer multiple benefits to students, including
creating environments that foster belonging, higher commitment levels, and increased social
connection through specific subject matter (Astin, 1984; Cheng, 2004). Developing a sense of
belonging is even more critical for students on the margin, like those who identify as geeks, who
might not see activities that help them foster those critical connections. This study sought to
discover if the opportunities for connection for students who identify as geeks are sufficient in
helping them find community and if administrators play a role in creating these opportunities for
engagement on college campuses.
Background of the Problem
This study was designed using a notion of geek culture that is often used to describe the
type of environment and interests found at conventions such as Comic-Con International in San
Diego. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the term as a verb used to describe when an
individual “geeks out” about a topic and is defined as “being or becoming extremely excited or
enthusiastic about a subject, typically one of specialist or minority interest” (“Geek,” n.d.). A
geek is also described as someone “who is very interested in and knows a lot about a particular
field” (“Geek,” 2015). It is the second definition that was used in this study. For this study, a
geek is someone who is very interested in anything related to comic books, video games, science
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 11
fiction or related topics. It is where obsession and intelligence intersect that the definition of geek
can be found (“FINALLY: The Difference between Geek, Nerd, and Dork Explained by a Venn
Diagram,” 2010). It is this definition that the author used to frame anecdotal research for
presentations at Comic-Con International in San Diego and at regional student affairs
conferences for the past six years (Belisario, Day, McRae, Miller, & Sandoval, 2011).
Imagine a student who identifies as a geek setting foot on a four-year university for the
first time. This student might have had a peer group at home who enjoyed similar interests and
went to see the latest Star Wars movie together. The typical welcome week events at universities
tend to be social and usually involve ice cream or pizza, getting to know the campus, movie
nights and, maybe, even a concert. That same welcome week can be planned taking geek culture
into consideration by adding a social event based on tabletop gaming, choosing movies with a
geek theme, or creating social groups around comic books, science fiction, or people who want
to discuss the cannons of Star Wars, Harry Potter or Star Trek. This is what programming to
geek culture entails: creating opportunities for people with similar passions to meet and connect
(Belisario et al., 2011).
Statement of the Problem
The organization I studied was the housing and residential education office in a specific
residential college at a four-year public institution. The performance need I focused on is
establishing programming geared towards students who identify as geeks. This need arose from
identifying geeks as a population that is often marginalized in the K-12 system and a population
that can be unified around common interests once students begin college. This organizational
need affected the residential college’s mission that promotes the “intellectual, personal, and
social success, and provides an ethical and inclusive living and learning environment.” The
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 12
organizational need investigated was related to the larger problem of students not finding their
sense of community on a college campus and the negative ramifications that can occur if
students are not involved and do not feel as though they matter to others (Astin, 1984;
Schlossberg, 1989).
The importance of building community around geek college student identity can be
connected to Schlossberg’s (1989) theory on marginality and mattering. The theory explains how
students can feel marginalized when experiencing an impactful transition—like starting
college—and their desire to feel as though they matter to others with the result of increased
personal worth and motivation (Schlossberg, 1989). Student affairs administrators are challenged
to understand why some students get involved while others seemingly do not create meaningful
levels of involvement (Schlossberg, 1989). Within this area are students on the margin, like those
who identify as geeks. These students sometimes have problems finding other students with
similar interests when they initially get to college and, thus, are slower to find a strong sense of
community.
Astin (1984) encouraged universities to critically look at systems, policies, and
procedures set in place that can increase or reduce student involvement. Programming is often an
easy avenue to create change to increase the level of interest and involvement on campuses.
Appealing to specific interests and building connections between students can help marginalized
students fight against feelings of loneliness, which can have a positive effect on their sense of
community (Cheng, 2004). Further, when students possess a “feeling of being cared about,
treated in a caring way, valued as an individual, and accepted as a part of community it
contributes directly to their sense of belonging” (Cheng, 2004, p. 227). Administrators create and
nurture an environment where students feel respected for their individuality and can find a
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 13
community they feel accepts them (Astin, 1984; Cheng, 2004). The first step is for
administrators to start conversations with students focused on students who are on the margins
and not attending events in the residence halls or on campus. Marginality is the reason the author
chose students who identify as geeks because, traditionally, these students have not been
involved in campus events. Working towards a campus where students who identify as geeks
feel they matter and where they see opportunities for connection and involvement will strengthen
the overall campus community (Belisario et al., 2011).
Chapter Two further explores literature focused on how involvement can positively affect
students who are often on the margins in terms of their feelings of mattering to other students,
staff, and faculty. Specifically, the conceptual framework utilized Schlossberg’s (1989) theory of
marginality and mattering and Astin’s (1984) theory of student involvement. Using geek culture
to identify and understand students who are often on the margin when it comes to making
connections and finding events that appeal to their interests on college campuses was the first
step in working towards an environment where students feel they matter and where they can start
building community. Sense of belonging and importance to others is a critical element of
community-building that leads to their overall feelings of comfort and ability to succeed in
college (Astin, 1984; Schlossberg, 1989; Strayhorn, 2012). These theories were used to frame the
research questions to allow the author to conduct a study of geek students on a college campus, a
population not found in previous research.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study was to identify how an office for residential life at a four-year
public university creates community and opportunity for student engagement utilizing geek
identity. A case study methodology was utilized to examine geek culture with an analysis of
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 14
interviews and artifacts. The case study method is used to examine contemporary events and is
similar to a historical study, but, in this case, used direct observations and interviews of people
directly involved in the events studied (Yin, 2013). The interviews allowed the researcher to
have direct contact with students who self-identify as geeks to describe their levels of
engagement and contact with administrators who plan or support geek-themed programming.
The study was conducted in May 2017. Working with the college administrative officer
at the identified site, an email was sent to first-year students living in a residential college
inviting them to participate in an interview if they self-identified as a geek, utilizing the
definition described in the introduction. Additionally, an email was sent to the resident assistants,
who are in senior class standing, to acquire a sample of older students who identify as geeks to
gain their perspective on the geek community. Interviewing both new students and students who
have established their presence at this university gave the researcher the opportunity to compare
the experience of geek students from entry point at the university through their fourth year to see
if experiences, perspectives, and support from administrators have changed. For the interviews, a
semi-structured interview protocol was used following a list of questions to ensure certain data
were collected while remaining flexible so the researcher could hear new ideas and different
viewpoints (Merriam, 2009).
The conceptual framework of Schlossberg’s (1989) theory of marginality and mattering
and Astin’s (1984) theory of student involvement and its relation to sense of belonging was used
to understand geek student experience on a college campus. While geek students are sometimes
marginalized as adolescents (Bucholtz, 1999; Mendick & Francis, 2012), it is critical for
administrators to engage geek students and create opportunities for connection in college, which
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 15
is critical to their overall success (Astin, 1984; Schlossberg, 1989) Three research questions
guided this study:
1. How has this residential education department incorporated geek identity in their
programming and other opportunities of engagement?
2. How do administrators in a residential education department foster a geek-friendly
community for students during their first-year of college?
3. How does utilizing geek identity impact student experience within a residential education
department?
Significance of the Study
While there is research on geek students in the STEM field (Clark, 2000; Cross, 2005;
Dunbar-Hester, 2008; Varma, 2007) and a small body of literature about geek adolescents in
relation to their talents and being considered gifted (Bishop, Bishop, Gelbwasser, Green, &
Zuckerman, 2003; Currie, Kelly, & Pomerantz, 2006; Mendick & Francis, 2012; Robbins, 2011).
There is no literature about geek college students specifically related to utilizing geek identity to
help students find connection on a college campus. Geek culture is becoming more mainstream
(Grossman, 2005; Robbins, 2011), but recent literature lacks a connection between geek culture
and student development theory. This dissertation sought to connect geek identity for college
students at a four-year public university to involvement opportunities on their campus and to
learn whether administrators understand how to utilize geek identity to appeal to students who
might have been marginalized as adolescents (Bishop et al., 2003; Currie et al., 2006; Mendick
& Francis, 2012; Robbins, 2011).
This study will help higher education administrators understand how to utilize geek
identity and interests to create opportunities for engagement beyond what is currently seen in
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 16
residential life departments. Instead of hosting movie nights to show the latest in the Marvel
Cinematic Universe with free popcorn, the event can incorporate a Marvel trivia contest and
costume competitions to rival what is seen at many of the large comic conventions such as
WonderCon or Comic-Con International to give students a chance to show off their knowledge
and creativity when designing these costumes. When faculty members are brought inside the
residence halls to host lectures on social justice topics, the audience can be broadened by
designing a talk on gender representation in comic books. The interviews and observations
conducted herein show how interest levels can be increased and specialized by utilizing geek
identity in the ways described above (Merriam, 2009). Utilizing geek identity will also appeal to
students who might otherwise not attend programs, as they do not see their interests reflected in
the events offered in their residence halls. This study provides administrators ideas about geek-
themed programming, encourages them to work closely with their students to identify geek
interests, and helps them understand why geek identity can be an important tool to create
opportunities for students to connect.
Limitations and Delimitations
One limitation to the study was that the experience of geek students is individualized and
differs from student to student. Triangulation was used to examine if a student’s experience, as
shared in an interview, checked against administrator’s viewpoints and against documents can be
related to the same phenomenon of being a geek (Merriam, 2009). The study focused on the
individual reality of a few students. Additionally, students selected for interviews self-selected
based on a definition provided by the author. Self-selection was a limitation to the study as the
students might have misinterpreted the definition based on their own experiences. The sample’s
size might be an additional limitation based on the time the study was completed and the
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 17
university’s academic calendar. The number of students, while small, provides data to yield the
researcher a strong understanding of geek students’ experiences.
A delimitation of the study was not considering campus culture and how that affects
student culture and campus life. What was found at this four-year public university might differ
at a four-year public polytechnic university. Geek experiences might vary greatly based on
campus and student culture and that affects the overall external validity of the study. While the
definition of geek and geek-themed programs were generated at Comic-Con San Diego and
involved administrators from a variety of universities (Belisario et al., 2011), this study focused
only on one type of institution, and recommendations are based on the student experience at one
four-year public institution. Therefore, the generalizability of the results is potentially limited.
Additionally, this study was qualitative and, while there are instruments that measure sense of
belonging, the researcher utilized a case study rather than a mixed-methods approach to gain a
deeper understanding of geek student experience.
Definition of Terms
Comic-Con International: Comic-Con International is the parent organization that hosts
the annual San Diego Comic-Con, WonderCon, and the Alternative Press Expo. Comic-Con
International is a four-day convention hosted in San Diego, California each summer with over
130,000 attendees in recent years. The mission statement is
Comic-Con International: San Diego is a nonprofit educational corporation dedicated to
creating awareness of, and appreciation for, comics and related popular art forms,
primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic
and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture (San Diego Comic Convention,
2016).
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 18
Comic-Con brings “comics creators, science fiction and fantasy authors film and
television directors, producers, and writers, and creators from all aspects of the popular arts
together with their fans for a fun and often times candid discussion of various art forms” (San
Diego Comic Convention, 2016).
Engagement: Defined by Kuh (2001), engagement is the time and energy students devote
to education in the classroom and educational activities outside of the classroom. Engagement is
also the policies and practices institutions use to encourage students to take part in these
activities (Kuh, 2001).
Geek: A geek is someone who becomes extremely excited or enthusiastic about a subject
that is typically one of minority interest, who is very interested in and knows much about a
particular field, and someone who shows an intersection of obsession and intelligence when it
comes to their interests (“FINALLY: The Difference between Geek, Nerd, and Dork Explained
by a Venn Diagram,” 2010, “Geek,” n.d.). Utilizing this definition, you can geek out about a
variety of topics, from comic books to science fiction, and from books to theater, and even about
sports and politics. For this study, a geek is someone who would enjoy attending a Comic-Con,
gets excited about the latest Star Wars movie or Marvel Cinematic Universe release, enjoys
playing tabletop, role-playing, or video games, and looks forward to Free Comic Book Day each
year.
Involvement: Involvement is defined as the amount energy a student devotes to the
academic experience through spending time on campus, studying, participating in student
organizations, and has regular interaction with their peers, staff and faculty (Astin, 1984).
Marginality: According to Schlossberg (1989), marginality can be temporary, occurring
during a time of transition, or permanent when dealing with a part of someone’s identity. It is a
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 19
feeling that someone does not matter and is separate from the dominant group or on the
periphery (Schlossberg, 1989).
Mattering: Mattering is a belief that an individual matters to someone else, and this belief
can act as a motivator (Schlossberg, 1989).
Residential Education: On college and university campuses, residential life/education
departments focus on the learning, community, and safety of students living in the on-campus
residential facilities owned by the university. Residential Education departments focus on student
development and creating living environments conducive to academic success (Association of
College & University Housing Officers – International, 2015)
Student Affairs: Student Affairs is often a division at a college or university that focuses
on student learning outside of the classroom, creating opportunities for students to discover who
they are through positive interactions with each other and staff, and fostering an inclusive
environment that fosters a respect for diversity and an overall support of the individual (NASPA
- Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, n.d.). Departments in the division of
student affairs vary, but often include residential life, campus activities, Greek life, career center,
and cultural centers.
Organization of the Study
Chapter Two explores literature concerning the terminology of the word geek as well as
student experience in middle school through adulthood. The conceptual framework using student
development theory is explored in depth to cover involvement theory, marginality, and mattering
and how they relate to a student’s overall sense of belonging at a university. Additionally, geek
identity is explored as a factor that can significantly help a student identify the feeling of
belonging or mattering on campus. Chapter Three explains the methodology, sample, population,
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 20
and instrumentation methods. The data and analysis processes are also described. Chapter Four
presents the findings that emerged from the data analysis and explains the themes as they relate
to geek students finding a sense of belonging through the conceptual framework. Chapter Five
concludes with suggestions of programs, initiatives, and methods of connecting with students
that administrators can use to capitalize on geek culture on a college campus with the goal of
helping students connect and increase their sense of belonging. Additionally, suggestions for
further research are included.

ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 21
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
This dissertation examined opportunities for engagement coordinated by a department of
residential education utilizing geek identity at a four-year public university. This study was
designed using a notion of geek culture that often describes the type of environment and interests
found at conventions such as Comic-Con International in San Diego. The Comic-Con geek
culture is built upon interests in comic books and popular arts, bringing comics creators, authors,
educators, directors, producers, and writers, from all aspects of the popular arts together with
their fans to celebrate their appreciation and love of science fictions and popular culture (San
Diego Comic Convention, 2016).
The conceptual framework was built utilizing Schlossberg’s (1989) theory of mattering
and marginality and Astin’s (1984) theory of student involvement in terms of how they can
affect a student’s sense of belonging. For the purpose of this study, the students on the margin
were students who self-identified as geeks. Additionally, engagement relates to how universities
and administrators invest resources and structure learning and connection opportunities that
appeal to student’s interest and result in students’ investing time and effort in these activities that
lead to success (Strayhorn, 2012). The framework guided the examination of opportunities for
engagement in relation to programming and events sponsored by university administrators with
the purpose of building community among students living in residential life.
The literature review is organized to help solidify understanding of geek as it pertains to
this study. The review begins with the definition of geek, levels of engagement with society and
with other geek individuals, an exploration of the experiences of geek adolescents moving
towards geek college students and, finally, a small section about current geek culture as a
metaculture. Following the exploration of geeks is a review of mattering and marginality
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 22
(Schlossberg, 1989) and student involvement theory (Astin, 1984) as they relate to a student’s
overall sense of belonging. This includes how developing a strong sense of belonging can help
students in their adjustment to and success throughout college.
Geek Identity
Definition
As stated in Chapter One, there are several definitions of the term “geek.” The Oxford
English Dictionary defines the term as “an unfashionable or socially inept person” (“Geek,”
n.d.). Geek is also used as a verb describing instances when an individual “geeks out” about a
topic and is defined as “being or becoming extremely excited or enthusiastic about a subject,
typically one of specialist or minority interest” (“Geek,” n.d.). As seen in the presenters and
attendees of Comic-Con, a geek is also someone who is very interested in anything related to
comic books, video games, science fiction or related topics (San Diego Comic Convention,
2016). It is where obsession and intelligence intersect that the definition of geek can be found
(“FINALLY: The Difference between Geek, Nerd, and Dork Explained by a Venn Diagram,”
2010).
Understanding the various definitions of geek over the past ten years is important, as
identifying as a geek has become more popular with attendance at events like Comic-Con
increasing to over 130,000 attendees in recent years and new movies from the Star Wars cannon
and the annual release of movies adding to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The literature that
exists utilizing the geek terminology varies from focusing on geeks as socially awkward
individuals, to mostly male, and predominantly in the STEM fields (Bucholtz, 1999; Clark,
2000; Cross, 2005; Grossman, 2005; Mendick & Francis, 2012; Robbins, 2011) to the
representation of women in traditional geek spaces of science and technology (Currie et al.,
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 23
2006; Dunbar-Hester, 2008; Varma, 2007). The review begins with the belief that geeks are
socially inept, but juxtaposes that concept with the connections geeks make within geek culture.
Disengagement From Mainstream Society
Geeks are often thought of as being on the margin of mainstream popular culture. While
there is research that shows that geek identity can result in a certain amount of stigmatization
(Bucholtz, 1999; Cross, 2005), there is also research that shows the geek identity is intentionally
chosen as an alternative to mainstream culture, and, with that, geeks adopt new languages and
social practices (Bucholtz, 1999). Cross (2005) wrote about the history of the terms “geek” and
“nerd” and noted that “geek” had the power to stigmatize more than the term “nerd” due to
geeks’ being socially inadequate. Even though geeks were thought to be skilled in the technical
and academic arenas, this social awkwardness affected the cultural stereotypes of geeks.
Additionally, Caleb Clark (2000) documented his observations regarding walking
between the world of geeks and people-persons, implying that geeks lack social skills. As years
passed, popular culture in the 1990s began to highlight those thought to be socially awkward and
gifted with movies such as Searching for Bobby Fischer and Good Will Hunting (Cross, 2005).
Combined with television shows like Family Matters and the current The Big Bang Theory, with
a nerd as one of the main characters, and an increasingly technological society in the 2000s, the
term geek has been used as an adjective rather than a stereotype (Cross, 2005). Geeks are now
involved at a very high level in every facet of the information age in technology, learning, and
popular culture (Clark, 2000).
Bucholtz (1999) suggested that nerds are not socially awkward misfits as other
researchers posit; instead, they “consciously choose and display their identifies through language
and social practices” to distinguish themselves from other social groups in high school like
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 24
“jocks” and “burnouts” (p. 211). This is what Bucholtz (1999) refers to as positive identity
practices: practices individuals actively engage in to construct a chosen identity. Negative
identity practices focus on stereotypes and activities that individuals choose to distance
themselves from a rejected identity (Bucholtz, 1999). Bucholtz focused on nerd girls and
concluded that the “community of practice model accommodates the individuality that is
paramount in the nerd social identity, without overlooking the strong community ties that unify
the nerd girls in this study” (p. 213). While the study was only based on a small social group
comprised of four core members, results highlight the fact that, for nerd culture, both
individuality and strong community ties matter, and the same can be said for geek culture.
In 2016, one can argue, mainstream popular culture became more geek-friendly with the
string of Marvel and DC movies released, the Star Wars cannon resurgence through the new
movies in 2015 and 2016, and amusement park attractions like Harry Potter World at Universal
Studios Hollywood. Some might argue we reached a geek peak where public fascination with
geek interests reached its high (Adams, Kirtley, & Baar, 2016). Additionally, geeks who have a
strong interest in gaming, both video and tabletop games, rely on having a community to interact
with both virtually and in person. In Los Angeles, California, there was an increase in businesses
focused on retro video game arcades as well as cafes catering to board game enthusiasts, which
became popular with geeks of all ages. Geek culture becoming more mainstream allowed geeks
more options in terms of positive identity practices that highlight their geek interests, be it a Star
Wars night at Dodgers Stadium or playing in a Settlers of Catan tournament at a local gaming
café.

ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 25
Engagement Within the Geek Community
Geeks are known to have a higher social connection within the geek community,
maintaining more social contacts even though they are thought to have lower social skills. These
social groups can often be small or large, depending on interest, and often start actualizing in
high school. Once college begins, some students easily find their niche while others still struggle
to find groups with similar interests. Before college, adolescents often deal with the tensions that
come with the school environment and cliques. They struggle through challenges that can build
or hinder resiliency, and they often navigate this by themselves or with the help of a close group
of friends with similar experience. Oftentimes, they do not have help from teachers or
administrators.
Geek adolescents. There is a perceived tension between what students experience in
school and the narratives circulating in popular culture regarding bullying (Mendick & Francis,
2012). Some students form groups with a strong geek identity as a means of support and
connection while others feel ostracized due to their geek interests. Robbins (2011), author of The
Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth: Popularity, Quirk Theory, and Why Outsiders Thrive after High
School, followed seven individuals for a year to understand what she described as quirk theory in
a group of people considered to be on the margins. Six individuals were high school students,
and one was a teacher. The settings included public and private schools, technical and art
schools, boarding schools, college preparatory academies, inner city schools, small rural schools,
and suburban schools (Robbins, 2011). Robbins framed the research in quirk theory: “the
differences that cause students to be excluded in school being the same traits or real-world skills
that others will value, love, respect, or find compelling about that person in adulthood and
outside of the school setting” (Robbins, 2011, p. 8).
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 26
Understanding the experience of these geek students is important in understanding their
development into geek adults. Robbins (2011) wrote that geeks and nerds find connection
through their perceived obsessions, focusing on academia for nerds and technological gear for
geeks. Further, both nerds and geeks are known to be socially marginalized and intellectual, but
Robbins classified geeks as inclined towards recreational pursuits like games and comic books
while nerds are more inclined towards intellectual pursuits. The students who stood out in the
study were Blue (the gamer), Reagan (the weird girl), Noah (the band geek), and Eli (the nerd).
All four of these individuals struggled with a dominant, perceived popular group and sometimes
found themselves on the fringe (Robbins, 2011).
Group polarization occurs when an individual takes on a group’s opinion more extreme
than the individual’s own (Robbins, 2011). This group-think mentality occurs when individual
members are “exposed to the group’s rationale during discussion, may feel pressure to conform
to the group’s opinion, and may take even more extreme positions than the group average in an
attempt to get the rest of the group to like them” (Robbins, 2011, p. 134). The results of this can
be marginalization of students who do not fit into these groups. The students Robbins (2011)
followed were at an age where they had “neither the cognitive development to be able to
extricate themselves easily from the influence of a group nor the awareness that they are
mentally programmed to be so vulnerable to its whims” (p. 137). So, while the students felt
lonely at times, it was noteworthy that they were able to forge their own paths even when the
influence of cliques in high school was great (Robbins, 2011).
This resiliency was found in several of the students. Robbins (2011) gave all subjects
challenges mid-way through the study that would push them out of their comfort zone. As long
as the challenges did not hinder their safety, they all showed a high level of resiliency
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 27
overcoming marginalization to find new connections based on their interests. This allowed them
to connect with students from other social groups. Robbins referred to resiliency as a “globally
admired quality” that builds character and strength through mistakes or challenging situations
(Robbins, 2011, p. 163). Resiliency, along with traits like self-awareness, candor, curiosity,
creativity and courage are not traits that typically mark the collective popular crowd in school
(Robbins, 2011).
Robbins (2011) also noted that the popular crowd has particular traits, but the traits
possessed by the fringe crowd place them ahead of the game in developing skills that will help
them in the adult world. Of note, Regan, who was identified as the weird girl, was, surprisingly,
revealed to be a teacher who was bullied by other teachers. Due to the level of resiliency skills
she forged as an adolescent and young adult, she was better equipped to cope with the bullying.
As a weird girl, or geek, Regan dealt with figuring out her creative expression though a male-
centered discourse and fought against the need to conform through her interest in rock music
(Currie et al., 2006; Robbins, 2011). Although it was still difficult being bullied as an adult, she
was also a role model for her students who could see what was happening with other teachers.
The students considered her a favorite teacher, and she received high evaluation marks because
she shared her interests and her identity with her students. Regan showed that young girls could
embrace being different and find success in cultivating a talent or interest that places them on the
fringe (Currie et al., 2006).
In several of Robbins (2011) other examples, teachers and administrators did not help
those on the fringe and inadvertently made things worse by giving popular students preferential
treatment and categorizing students based on stereotypes. Additionally, some teachers took jokes
too far in class and the subjects of those jokes tended to be the same students targeted by the
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 28
popular group in the study (Robbins, 2011). While some administrators have good intentions,
they sometimes feed into fringe theory by elevating some students based on status. One example
is during times of budget constraints, as the arts, music, and science lab tend to be eliminated
first, and those are the areas where geeks, nerds, and other fringe students tend to be found
(Robbins, 2011). Eli, categorized as a nerd in the study, won an academic bowl and did not
receive the recognition he would have received had his victory been in athletics (Robbins, 2011).
It is important to note that some of these cliques do not stop when students get to college,
but it does get better over time (Robbins, 2011). Blue, the gamer, saw his status change when the
college recruiter noticed he was different from his peers and passed him to the next round
(Robbins, 2011). It is the unique quality of gaming and creativity that gave Blue the tools to
connect with a new group of students in college. Robbins (2011) believed that part of the shift
that helps high school and college students is that the geek and nerd subcultures were becoming
mainstream. With the popularity of Comic-Con increasing each year and literature and comic
books continuously being made into high-grossing movies, teenage geeks and nerds begin to find
acceptance (Robbins, 2011).
While geek students are happy to define themselves as the antithesis of “cool” students,
they very consciously choose their social network and display their identity through social
practices and language (Bucholtz, 1999). Administrators’ an understanding of these social
practices and language will result in their being more relatable as well as developing a better
understanding of their students. Robbins (2011) offered several suggestions for what high
schools can do to help those on the fringe, but several recommendations that can be applied to
higher education. The three suggestions that fit higher education are the importance of
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 29
facilitating connections, the simple act of reaching out, and the impact of promoting creativity
(Robbins, 2011).
When a teacher noticed that Noah, the band geek, was passionate about the environment
and was skilled at connecting with students one-on-one, that talent was capitalized on, and the
result was a thriving recycling program that incorporated students from several cliques (Robbins,
2011). In college, the potential social circles become larger based on the size of the university. If
administrators reach out to geek students on the margin, support their interests in video game
design, creative writing, comic books, or other areas and help them connect with other students,
then students will find meaning in the relationships they forge.
College students. Age plays a strong part in redefining community and owning the label
of geek (Mendick & Francis, 2012). Varma (2007) conducted a yearlong qualitative study,
interviewing 150 undergraduates from seven campuses designated as minority serving
institutions. Varma’s (2007) study examined if the underrepresentation of women in computer
science/engineering in the United States was a result of geek culture and how it is perceived in
terms of ethnicity and class. For this study, a geek was someone who was socially inept, spent
free time on the computer, had encyclopedic knowledge of computing, and was obsessive about
learning more about computing (Varma, 2007). Additionally, nerds focused more on science and
geeks focused more on technology with geeks maintaining a stronger social network than nerds
(Varma, 2007). Geek culture is continuously constructed and is tied to specific language and
social practices, so it is fitting that computer science/engineering majors would consider
themselves geeks (Bucholtz, 1999; Varma, 2007).
The male students interviewed were very open about calling themselves geeks but also
were quick to distinguish themselves from nerds since nerds have a lower social standing than
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 30
geeks. Women were more hesitant to call themselves geeks (Varma, 2007). However, the
majority of the students acknowledged that the demographics of computer science/engineering
majors changed and now represented students learning the craft as they went through school
versus the student who came in knowing about computers from a young age (Varma, 2007).
Additionally, due to the economic advantages of a computer science/engineering career, women
were more open to being associated with the term geek because of the field. One of Varma’s
closing points was that ideas about computer technology are rooted in the social construction of
gender roles and acknowledging this is important as more women enter the field (Varma, 2007).
The changing landscape of computer science/engineering in Varma’s study aligns with the
changing landscape of those who identify as geeks beyond the technological fields as geek
continues to influence popular culture and interests.
Geeks Today
Grossman (2005) described the shift of the 1990 economic hegemony of the geeks
focusing on technology and science converting to a cultural hegemony with a focus on language,
games, and even large-scale conventions like San Diego Comic-Con dominating conversations
on geek identity. Also in 2005, Cross wrote about the evolving definition of the word geek and
focused on the term being used as an adjective, as in tech geek, art geek, or theater geek. Societal
perception affected the way geeks and nerds have been viewed, and, as people celebrate the
accomplishment of Steve Jobs, being a geek is not always considered negative when geeks
develop and lead large tech industries and establish lucrative careers.
According to Mendick and Francis (2012), the concept of geek as marginalized during
adolescence is juxtaposed against the college-aged to young adult geek being privileged in their
skill set and using that to their advantage. After speaking with students aged 12 to 13, Mendick
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 31
and Francis’ found geeks being abject in relation to peer networks and subject to bullying at the
hand of their peers (Mendick & Francis, 2012). On the contrary, the study found that geeks
found success in utilizing their skillsets in math and science to be successful and aligned that
success to the narratives seen in popular culture where the nerds or geeks come back as successes
to prove themselves to those who bullied them earlier in life (Mendick & Francis, 2012).
Together, their research tells an important narrative of how geeks, marginalized as adolescents,
can capitalize on their abilities and become successful as adults, oftentimes using the skills and
traits that made them targets during middle and high school (Mendick & Francis, 2012). Age and
community are both important, as geeks either claim or reclaim that positive aspects of that label
(Mendick & Francis, 2012) and why this dissertation focused on college-aged geeks.
Mendick and Francis (2012) focused on three main concepts to determine whether geeks
are marginalized: the relationship of a geek to social capital, a tension between real-life
experiences and narratives portrayed in popular culture, and the differences between experiences
in the United States versus the United Kingdom since both writers teach in London. The first two
concepts are integral to this dissertation. In school, adolescent geeks who are abject or made to
feel like an other, may feel isolated and not have access to social capital, but, as they become
adults, they start to network with other geeks who have a similar skillset and share similar
interests (Mendick & Francis, 2012). This ability to network in college and beyond gives geeks
power in their careers and gives them influence. Additionally, examples from popular culture
where geeks are cool due to their abilities (this articles uses the example of Peter Parker in
Spiderman and how the characters from Glee utilized their talents) do not mirror the experience
of teenagers in real life (Mendick & Francis, 2012). This is a reminder that the idea of geek is
often projected on young people by others before they have the opportunity to reclaim the term
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 32
as young adults (Mendick & Francis, 2012). During college, it becomes evident that geeks are
multifaceted and have many interests. Identifying as a geek has less to do with what is portrayed
in popular culture and more with what Mendick and Francis call cultural markers. These are
interests in comic books, role-playing games, science fiction, technology and authors like J.R.R.
Tolkien (Mendick & Francis, 2012). College is where community and social capital are built
around these cultural markers.
In the past decade, geeks have reclaimed use of the term geek, a term with a history of
negative connotation, and claimed it as a term associated with pride and connection to a social
group that gives them power (Dunbar-Hester, 2008). Identity is constructed through
performance, practice, material possessions and networking (Dunbar-Hester, 2008). Dunbar-
Hester (2008) exemplifies this identity through a group of women who formed a “Geek Group”
focused on building radio hardware. This group bonded over an activity heavily dominated by
the male gender, over a language that is only known to other radio enthusiasts, and over the
activism associated with a hobby that was, historically, accessible to a group of lower
socioeconomic status (Dunbar-Hester, 2008). While this is a specific example, it shows how a
group of adults reclaimed the word geek as a positive label. They displayed knowledge that
highlights technical skills and knowledge that some view as obscure (Dunbar-Hester, 2008).
A majority of the women Dunbar-Hester (2008) interviewed also enjoyed hobbies
considered geeky, like role-playing games, and they made sure to share that as an important
aspect of their geek identity. Another important aspect of their identity was the activism of this
group of women. Both geek and activist identities involve marginalization and are defined in
opposition to the mainstream (Dunbar-Hester, 2008). As geeks enter college, they begin to
construct their identity beyond their experiences of being marginalized in high school as they
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 33
unite with others who share both similar interests and a marginalized experience to form a new
community of geeks.
Student Development Theory
A student’s sense of belonging and likelihood of persistence are connected to their
commitment to and involvement with the institution (Astin, 1984; Hoffman, Richmond, Morrow,
& Salomone, 2002; Rayle & Chung, 2007). Sense of belonging can be attributed to involvement
on campus, acclimation, and the feeling of importance to other students, staff, and faculty
(Cheng, 2004; Freeman, Anderman & Jensen, 2007; Osterman, 2000; Schlossberg, 1989).
Further, Osterman (2000) explained that the need to belong is connected to changes in
intellectual processes, emotional patterns, behavior, health, and well-being of individuals.
Understanding the variety of backgrounds, needs, and interests of every student population is
integral to creating inclusive campus environments that help students develop a strong sense of
belonging. Research by Astin (1984) highlighted the importance of involvement and how that
affects students’ success on campus. Further, Schlossberg’s (1989) theory on marginality and
mattering focused on the importance of concentrating on students on the margins to help them
realize they matter to people on campus and increase their involvement with and connection to
campus.
Mattering and Sense of Belonging
Mattering. Sense of belonging is a basic form of human motivation that can be traced
back to psychology and Maslow’s (1962) hierarchy of needs. For college students, sense of
belonging refers to level of connectedness and level of perceived social support from peers, staff,
and faculty (Strayhorn, 2012). Multiple factors contribute to belongingness, but one factor is
marginality and mattering. This is important for students who identify as geeks.
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 34
Encouraging mattering and involvement on campuses has proven to be successful in
fostering students’ motivation to learn while helping with retention rates (Schlossberg, 1989).
Those with the responsibility of building community, like residential life staff, are responsible
for identifying why some students get involved quickly and form a sense of community while
others struggle to find a connection (Schlossberg, 1989). Oftentimes, geeks fall into the latter
category and are unable to form meaningful connections until they find social groups accepting
of their interest. Additionally, the feelings of marginality some students face happen during times
of transition, such as starting college, and can be heightened due to the large difference between
high school and college and the lack of norms for their new role (Schlossberg, 1989).
Marginality can also be a permanent condition based on such characteristics as race, ethnicity or
gender, or can be a temporary condition based on a way of life or personality trait (Schlossberg,
1989). Marginality can be alleviated by social interaction, which is why creating spaces for geek
students to connect with each other is important (Schlossberg, 1989). When students find their
connections, they begin to realize that they matter and are not alone. Mattering acts as a
motivator and refers to a student’s belief that they are important to someone else, be it other
students, administrators, or faculty (Schlossberg, 1989).
When studying the concept of mattering, Schlossberg (1989) built on the work of
Rosenberg and McCullough (1981), who initially identified three aspects of mattering: attention,
importance, and dependence. Their study was focused on early adolescents, specifically junior
and senior high school students, and they surveyed 6,568 students to gain an understanding of
adolescents’ beliefs that they matter to their parents. They found themes of attention, or the
feeling that someone else notices or is interested in you; importance, or the feeling that someone
cares about your fate; and dependence, or the feeling that our behavior is influenced by our
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 35
dependence on another individual (Rosenberg & McCullough, 1981). Additionally, as feelings of
mattering were further explored, Rosenberg and McCullough identified the fourth aspect of ego-
extension. This refers to the fact that our actions or accomplishments can make others proud or
sad (Rosenberg & McCullough, 1981). The relationship between holding significance to another
individual and mattering is relevant and Schlossberg built upon this study to look at mattering for
a broad range of individuals.
When Schlossberg (1989) began to research marginality and mattering, she interviewed
24 men and women ranging in age from 16 to 80 to understand four aspects of mattering:
attention, importance, ego-extension, and dependence, originally described by Rosenberg and
McCullough (1981), which led to the discovery of the fifth aspect of appreciation. Schlossberg
found that people valued when others appreciated their actions, which had an impact on feelings
of mattering. By interviewing a wide-range of people, Schlossberg gained a better understanding
of mattering across many stages of life and discovered that, once participants felt they mattered,
they no longer felt marginal. If mattering determines behavior and is a motivator, then student
affairs professionals need to make sure programs, opportunities for engagement, and support
mechanisms reach a wide population of students with a variety of backgrounds and interests so
they feel as though they matter when they transition to college (Schlossberg, 1989). It is
important to listen to students and to understand their individuality when creating campus
environments that help them realize they matter, foster a high level of involvement in outside-
the-classroom experiences, and, thus, lead to student success (Schlossberg, 1989).
In 2007, Rayle and Chung utilized Schlossberg’s (1989) theory of mattering and
marginality as a framework for their study that focused on first-year college students’ social
support and academic stress and if those indicators were affected by feelings of mattering. The
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 36
sample consisted of 533 first-year undergraduate students at a large, four-year college in the
southwestern region of the United States (Rayle & Chung, 2007). The study’s findings supported
the theory that mattering increased in the college environment when students felt supported by
their family and friends at school (Rayle & Chung, 2007). This is important in understanding
how the high school and family experience of geek students contribute to their overall feelings of
mattering once they get to college. Additionally, social support was key in helping students cope
with academic stress and in increasing a sense of mattering (Rayle & Chung, 2007). Helping
students find their social niches in college during their first year is essential to helping them be
successful.
Rayle and Chung’s (2007) study resulted in three implications for understanding how
academic stress and social support affect mattering. Student affairs administrators should
acknowledge the continuing importance of social support relationships as first-year students
transition to college, understand that female students experience a higher level of academic stress
than their male counterparts and are more susceptible to the negative effects of stress, and that
forming new friendships and creating new social networks can help in college transition and
make students feel as though they matter. Overall, it was discovered that, a Schlossberg (1989)
found, students still want to matter to their friends and to their colleges and student affairs
administrators need to remember that when supporting students in their transition to college
(Rayle & Chung, 2007). It is suggested that college administrators develop intervention
programs and other opportunities to engage students during their first year to help in their
transition and overall retention (Rayle & Chung, 2007). Utilizing geek culture in these
interventions will ensure that first-year geek students expand their social network when it matters
the most.
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 37
Sense of belonging. Two of the first people to connect the importance of sense of
belonging to the higher education setting were Sylvia Hurtado from the University of Michigan
and Deborah Faye Carter from Indiana University. Their study focused on Latino students and
utilized data from the National Survey of Hispanic Students that was sent to 935 students. The
authors found that sense of belonging was particularly meaningful to those who “perceive
themselves as marginal to the mainstream life of a campus” (Hurtado & Carter, 1997, p. 324).
The initial experiences of the transition to college determine if students feel as though they
belong (Hurtado & Carter, 1997). Therefore, it is essential that universities focus on welcome
week activities based on their students’ interests.
Strayhorn (2012) synthesized belonging, engagement and involvement to determine that
what students do (involvement) can stimulate belonging or mattering, which can give
administrators ideas for creating opportunities for engagement that encourage a stronger sense of
belonging (Strayhorn, 2012). In an analysis of literature, Strayhorn (2012) concluded that the
multiple layers of social life on a college campus, placement in a residence hall and the resulting
community, and perceptions of campus climate all affected belonging. Additionally, the gap
Strayhorn found in literature was the limited understanding of the complexities of interactions
that affect sense of belonging and how these can suddenly change based on a single interaction
(Strayhorn, 2012). Geek identity is just one of many social dimensions, and looking at how
administrators can utilize geek identity as a tool of connection and belonging is one of the
reasons this study was conducted.
Strayhorn (2012) identified seven core elements to sense of belonging. Strayhorn found
that sense of belonging is a basic human need, a fundamental motivation that drives behavior,
takes on a heightened sense of importance in certain contexts, is related to and a consequence of
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 38
mattering, is affected by the intersection of identities, engenders positive outcomes, must be
regularly satisfied, and is fluid as circumstances, conditions, and contexts changes. For college
students, Strayhorn (2012) noted that sense of belonging, as a basic human need, should be
fulfilled before higher-order needs of knowledge and self-actualization. This is similar to Astin’s
(1984) theory of involvement leading to success and why it is important to learn what college
students value and what will make them feel they belong to a campus. In terms of driving
behavior, Strayhorn focused on the point that behavior is not always positive when seeking to
belong. An example of this is a student succumbing to peer pressure regarding alcohol in an
effort to fit in with perceived norms on college campuses. Conversely, this can be positive if the
right opportunities for engagement are designed that appeal to a student’s sense of belonging.
The third core element focuses on how sense of belonging can be heightened by
situations such as life transitions. For first-year students, sense of belonging is pushed to the
forefront as students try to find their place on campus and navigate an unfamiliar landscape with
new academic demands (Strayhorn, 2012). Sense of belonging and its correlation to mattering is
the other connection Strayhorn (2012) found, and this was strengthened by Schlossberg’s (1989)
research on the importance of feeling valued, especially for marginalized individuals. The fifth
core element of belonging is very important for geek students. Strayhorn (2012) found that social
identities, and their intersections, have a strong impact on belonging for college students. For
students who identify as geeks, there can be multiple layers consisting of gender, sexuality, and
specific interests such as Marvel versus DC, tabletop games versus video games, or Star Wars
versus Star Trek. Social identities and interests can be vital to sense of belonging. The sixth core
element of belonging says that, once a student feels as though they belong, there are other
positive outcomes (Strayhorn, 2012). Sense of belonging can influence relationships, satisfaction
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 39
and persistence (Strayhorn 2012). The last core element of belonging Strayhorn (2012) described
is that belonging changes as circumstances change. A person’s feeling that they do not belong
can have negative consequences and can lead to loneliness, diminished interest in life, and,
ultimately, social and academic disengagement from college life (Strayhorn, 2012). For geek
students, some of this was exemplified in Robbins’ (2011) study of geek high school students
and the negative consequences any time one of her subjects felt ostracized. Therefore, college
administrators must also take an active role in creating ongoing opportunities for engagement
that foster a sense of belonging for college-aged geeks.
Strayhorn (2012) created a visual representation of the importance of belonging, the
spaces where it can occur on a college campus, and possible outcomes. Of note, one social space
Strayhorn found to be important was the residence hall. This study focused on a residence
education department because of that department’s responsibility and ability to create an
environment where students can make connections and feel as though they belong to a
community.

Figure 1. Illustration of sense of belonging (Strayhorn, 2012).
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 40
Sense of belonging and Schlossberg’s (1989) theory of mattering align strongly with
Astin’s (1984) theory of involvement wherein a highly involved student is described as one who
devotes considerable time and energy to studying, being on campus, participating in student
organizations and interacting with peers, administrators and faculty.
Theory of Involvement
Astin (1984) published findings on what he coined the theory of student involvement as a
culmination of decades of work that that began in the 1960s during research on attrition among
college students. Panos and Astin (1968) conducted a longitudinal study that began in 1961 and
looked at 36,405 college students entering 246 colleges and universities. They found that
students were more likely to graduate college after four years if they had strong peer
relationships that focused on connection, independence, and cooperativeness. Further, they found
a connection between interpersonal relationships and environment variables affecting attrition
(Panos & Astin, 1968). Over the two decades Astin conducted research on attrition, he found
themes of involvement positively impacting a student’s ability to succeed in college.
Astin (1984) described involvement as the “amount of physical and psychological energy
that a student denotes to the academic experience” and further explained that the energy can be
focused on “studying, spending time on campus, participating actively in student organizations,
and interacting frequently with faculty members and other students” (p. 518). Astin found five
postulates on student involvement. In addition to the investment of energy, involvement is a
continuum and manifests itself differently. It has both quantitative and qualitative features, is
directly proportional to the amount of personal development and student learning associated with
any educational program, and is tied to the effectiveness of any educational practice or policy
that increases student involvement (Astin, 1984). Involvement is sometimes tied to motivation,
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 41
but Astin emphasized that involvement moves beyond just the psychological state to include the
behaviors of actively involvement.
Astin encouraged universities to critically look at systems, policies, and procedures that
can directly increase or reduce student involvement. The challenge is making sure these systems,
polices, and procedures are inclusive of all students, and, while studies have focused on
underrepresented students from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds, there are not many
studies on student interests and involvement. Thus, this study looked at what systems in an office
of residence life that encourages geek students’ involvement.
Additionally, Astin (1999) continued to study the impact of involvement theory and
wrote a follow-up article about lessons learned. He found that involvement continues to
influence all aspects of the undergraduate student’s cognitive and affective development (Astin,
1999). Moreover, the most powerful aspect of involvement theory is that peer groups and
channeling student energy into volunteer opportunities have become increasingly effective
(Astin, 1999). Strayhorn (2012) built upon this notion and emphasized that involvement can be
both academic and social, and it connotes a student’s behavior in response to the university
environment. Programming is often an easy avenue to create changes to increase interest and
involvement on campuses and can be seen both where students live, through the plethora of
student organizations on college campuses. and by bridging the living and learning experience
from the classroom to the residential communities.
Impacts on Sense of Belonging
Administrators are challenged to create and nurture an environment where college
students feel respected for their individuality and find a community they feel accepts them
(Astin, 1984; Cheng, 2004). The first step is for administrators to start conversations with
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 42
students focused on students who are on the margins and not attending events in the residence
halls or on campus. Cheng (2004) looked at students’ sense of community on a college campus,
how it was defined, and what administrators can do to build community, which directly affects
levels of involvement. The sample of 1,457 students was pulled from an annual enrollment
survey and resulted in first-year, sophomore, and junior students from a college of arts and
sciences and a college of engineering. Cheng found three aspects that affect community: students
feeling cared about and valued as individuals, feelings of loneliness that have an adverse effect
on community, and a quality social life on campus (Cheng, 2004). Ultimately, a strong
community includes students, faculty, and staff working together to create and foster an
environment where individuals, ideas, and opinions are respected and can be expressed freely
(Cheng, 2004). Cheng’s study is important because, if a community is not created and nurtured,
students will be less likely to be involved.
Social Networks and Community
Forming strong social networks is critical for college students, especially during their
first year. If students do not connect to a community, they may find themselves on the margins.
Particularly for first-year students, marginality equates to academic or social disconnection and
can affect their sense of belonging (Rayle & Chung, 2007; Freeman, Anderman, & Jensen,
2007). Marginality can also lead to increased mental health concerns that often require multiple
levels of intervention. Failure to form strong peer relationships can be associated with
depression, anxiety, and lack of retention (Freeman et al., 2007; Hagerty, Williams, Coyne, &
Early, 1996). Understanding that sense of belonging has strong effects on a student’s social and
psychological functioning is critical when working as an administrator (Hagerty et al., 1996).
Hagerty et al. (1996), using a sample of 379 community college students, found that sense of
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 43
belonging is related to social support, with support being defined as availability of resources and
support from peers that can be both positive in negative (Hagerty et al., 1996). They also found
sense of belonging to be potentially relevant for clinical purposes when helping students enhance
connections and improve their sense of belonging (Hagerty et al., 1996). This is important for
geek students to find social support as they are often marginalized as adolescents and deal with
issues of isolation. College can be an entirely new world for them as they seek new connections.
Pittman and Richmond (2008) conducted a study to learn about the impact of friendships
on sense of belonging and college adjustment. They sent a questionnaire out to 79 freshmen
college students at a regional state university during the fall and then again during the second
semester. They had a 33% response rate during the second semester. Among participants, 94%
were living on campus in university housing, which provides an initial sense of community for
students when they transition to college that must be continuously fostered. The study found that
sense of belonging and social acceptance is just as important to students in college as it was for
them at younger ages (Pittman & Richmond, 2008).
They also found that, as belonging increased and positive changes in friendship quality
occurred, negative behaviors changed over time (Pittman & Richmond, 2008). These friendships,
provide social support, help students cope with difficult situations and provide the opportunities
to engage in different social activities (Pittman & Richmond, 2008). For geek students who are
sometimes seen as antisocial, it is important to recognize that they connect over shared interests
such as video or tabletop games, comic books, movies, and so on. All these elements can bring
groups of students together to make connections or create new friendship groups and have a
positive effect on them both psychologically and in terms of their sense of belonging to campus.
Pittman and Richmond’s study was small and resulted in responses from mostly female students,
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 44
but they did find that sense of belonging and friendships were most vital during a student’s first
year of college. They suggest further studies looking at specific populations.
One strategy to help students form strong social networks is requiring first-year students
to live on campus during their first year of college. Social networks created through living in
residence halls have an influence on sense of belonging based on peer relationships and
supportive inclusive environments (Johnson et al., 2007). Additionally, living on campus is
related to retention and connection regardless of student demographics (Astin, 1984). Students
who live on campus tend to have greater access to campus resources and have trained student
and professional staff who are skilled in supporting and building connections with students.
A student’s sense of belonging and likelihood of persistence is connected to their
commitment to the institution (Astin, 1984; Hoffman et al., 2002; Rayle & Chung, 2007). Sense
of belonging can be attributed to involvement on campus, acclimation, and the feeling of
importance to other students, staff, and faculty (Cheng, 2004; Freeman & Anderman, 2007;
Osterman, 2000; Schlossberg, 1989). Creating opportunities for students to connect with these
constituencies utilizing geek identity is just one avenue to help students find a social network.
Retention
Administrators, faculty, and students should work to create an environment where people
feel respected and valued and where opinions can be expressed freely (Cheng, 2004). This allows
students to develop interpersonal connections to gain support, guidance, and feedback both
socially and academically (Hoffman et al., 2002). These interactions are also important in
assisting students with their sense of belonging. Positive peer and faculty interactions can
influence students’ sense of belonging by making complex environments feel more socially or
academically supportive (Johnson et al., 2007).
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 45
Academic motivation is also associated with belonging (Freeman et al., 2007). Freeman
and Anderman studied 238 first semester freshmen at a southeastern public university: 60 men,
162 women, and 16 students who did not report a gender. One of the findings is that instructor
characteristics affected students’ belonging and academic motivation (Freeman et al., 2007).
When students struggle with academics or have faculty, they can approach support offices on
campus where they can receive tutoring or other forms of academic coaching. This support can
affect both student motivation and their feelings that the campus supports their academic
endeavors.
In addition, a faculty or staff members’ approachability can have a strong impact on how
a student perceives them. Visiting office hours or utilizing study groups in the residence halls are
positive forms of interactions. These interactions are types of involvement that create
connections among students, faculty, and staff and help students realize that others believe in
their ability, which directly affects their feelings of personal worth (Schlossberg, 1989). This can
be cyclical in that a strong sense of belonging leads to higher levels of engagement which can be
centered on access to faculty and staff who are invested in fostering that sense of belonging.
Geek identity can be a tool that faculty and staff use. This study looked at some of the methods
that university staff utilizes to make themselves more approachable and connect with students
utilizing geek identity.
Hoffman et al. (2002) looked at sense of belonging created through learning communities
and its impact on retention. They thoroughly reviewed literature, created 85 measures to assess,
and did so through conducting 24 focus groups consisting of 15 to 30 students in a freshman
seminar course at the University of Rhode Island. They found that sense of belonging is tied to
how students were equipped to meet the challenges of college and is affected by how faculty
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 46
viewed students and their potential to succeed (Hoffman et al., 2002). This also increases
student’s ability to cope with the demands and stressors of the transition to college and allowed
students to create strong peer-to-peer connections, thus improving the university’s ability to
retain a student beyond their first year (Hoffman et al., 2002).
Be it the creation of social networks or faculty and staff working to make connections
with students to positively affect retention, geek identity is just one avenue to take to be
successful. It has been established that geek identity can be a marginalized identity and that
positive interactions with staff, faculty, and peers can improve feelings of marginalization
(Schlossberg, 1989). This study looked at how one university was successful in creating these
interactions between staff and students as well as facilitating peer connections through
programming within the residential communities.
Summary
Research showed the need for administrators to create opportunities for students to
connect and get involved on campus. The transition to college is a vital time that needs to be
capitalized on to assist students in making the necessary connections with peers, staff, and
faculty to establish their sense of belonging to their respective campus. This study looked at how
one department did this for students who identify as geeks and how geek culture was utilized as a
means to connect students by answering the following questions:
1. How has this residential education department incorporated geek identity in their
programming and other opportunities of engagement?
2. How do administrators in a residential education department foster a geek-friendly
community for students during their first-year of college?
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 47
3. How does utilizing geek identity impact student experience within a residential education
department?
A deeper understanding of geek student experience on a college campus and the important role
administrators play in affecting feelings of belonging were analyzed in this study through the
conceptual framework of Schlossberg’s (1989) theory of marginality and mattering and Astin’s
(1984) theory of student involvement and its relation to sense of belonging.

ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 48
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
To understand geek culture within the context of programming and student engagement
on a college campus, this study was designed using a concept of geek culture often used to
describe the type of environment and interests found at conventions such as Comic-Con
International in San Diego. The study explored how this concept of geek culture is connected to
a student’s sense of belonging. As explained in previous chapters, the Oxford English Dictionary
defines the term as a verb describing instances when an individual geeks out about a topic and is
defined as “being or becoming extremely excited or enthusiastic about a subject, typically one of
specialist or minority interest” (“Geek,” n.d.). For this study, a geek is someone who is very
interested in anything related to comic books, video games, science fiction or related topics. It is
where obsession and intelligence intersect that the definition of geek can be found (“FINALLY:
The Difference between Geek, Nerd, and Dork Explained by a Venn Diagram,” 2010). A
combination of the above definitions was used when describing geek culture on a college
campus.
The theoretical framework was built on Schlossberg’s (1989) theory of marginality and
mattering and Astin’s (1984) theory of student involvement and how they affect a student’s sense
of belonging. Sense of belonging and importance to others is a critical element of community
building that leads to students’ overall feelings of comfort and ability to succeed in college
(Astin, 1984; Schlossberg, 1989). Using geek culture as an identity that students are
marginalized for and as an identity that students build community around helps understand sense
of belonging on a college campus. The theories provide context to the research questions that
allow a study of geek students on a college campus, a population that is not prevalent in previous
research.
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 49
This study was guided by three research questions:
1. How has this residential education department incorporated geek identity in their
programming and other opportunities of engagement?
2. How do administrators in a residential education department foster a geek-friendly
community for students during their first-year of college?
3. How does utilizing geek identity impact student experience within a residential education
department?
Research Methods
This was an exploratory case study of one university that has several offerings of geek-
related programming and student organizations to understand how students engaged with
elements of their geek identity on campus. Interviews with college students and administrators
identified ways they connect with their geek identity on campus and highlighted the role
administrators had in helping geek students find a connection.
Qualitative Methods
Qualitative researchers are interested in how people experience and make sense of the
world (Merriam, 2009). When focusing on this study seeking to understand how college students
who identify as geeks engage in their geek identity on a college campus, a qualitative study is the
best choice to focus on truly understanding their experience. Further, it allowed for collection of
highly descriptive data and for the researcher to be the primary collector of data (Merriam,
2009). The researcher properly framed the study with the subjects and gave an introduction that
included the definition of the term “geek” as it applied to this study. This context would be lost if
the researcher had not taken a primary role. Using a constructivism paradigm, the researcher
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 50
came to understand how geek students interacted with the college campus in social settings and
ascertained how they constructed meaning through their interactions outside of the classroom.
Sample and Population
The site was a residential education office at a four-year public university situated in
California known for its residential college model. The study took place at one residential
college. The partnership with the residential education office was crucial to the success of this
study, as that office did direct work helping students find their sense of belonging at college.
Additionally, the director of that department did work to connect with geek students, and this
study provided an opportunity to determine if the work she and her staff had done was effective.
The director and the researcher had also presented at Comic-Con International together.
The study focused on students who self-identify as geeks. Purposive, convenience
sampling was used for this study allowing the researcher to deliberately select a sample from
which the most could be learned and which was most relevant to the research questions
(Maxwell, 2012; Merriam, 2009). This allowed the researcher to determine which students
identify as geeks before setting up interviews. Because geek can be considered an invisible social
identity, an email describing the study and defining the term was sent to residents at this college
and to several administrators. The emails and collaboration with residential education resulted in
a group of students who agreed to be interviewed for this study. The sample was comprised of
two first-year students who identified as geeks, who were ending their first year of college, and
who sought their niches on campus. Additionally, three students who identified as geeks were
preparing to graduate and had found their social connections were also interviewed. This allowed
the researcher to speak with one resident assistant, a student leader who plans events for their
peers and whose main purpose was to build safe and inclusive environments. The researcher also
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 51
gathered information on whether student leaders felt supported by university administrators
when planning geek-themed events. Additionally, five administrators who have the direct
responsibility of creating opportunities of engagement and building community for college
students were interviewed. These five administrators identified as geeks and juxtaposed the
college experience they created with their own undergraduate experience. This gave the full
picture of how the programs and opportunities for engagement at this residential college
successfully appealed to geek students and aided them in finding their sense of belonging on
campus. The interviews were conducted over a three-day period.
Instrumentation and Data Collection
Interviews and documents and artifacts were the qualitative instruments used in this
study. Interviews were integral in understanding how students engaged in their geek identity, as
this is not something that can always be observed. Learning about their individual experiences,
feelings, and how they interpreted the world was important in understanding how students
construct meaning through their experiences (Merriam, 2009). For this study, a semi-structured
interview protocol was used to ensure that certain data were collected while remaining flexible
so the researcher could respond directly to respondents as they shared their experiences as geek
students (Merriam, 2009). This allowed the researcher to ask probing questions and have deeper
conversations with the respondents when appropriate to gain a stronger understanding of geek
culture on campus. Three interview protocols were designed for the three sample populations of
first-year students, students at senior class standing, and administrators (Appendix). Part of the
student interview protocol was tested as a pilot study and adjustments were made to the
questions to strengthen and deepen the responses. Each interview took between 25 and 40
minutes to complete.
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 52
Documents and artifacts were incorporated to gain a better understanding of how events
were advertised to students. Primary sources enabled the researcher to speak with the originator
of the documents to gain a deeper understanding of the purpose of that document or artifact
(Merriam, 2009). Table 1 provides an overview of instrumentation as it relates to the conceptual
framework. Tables 2 through 4 provide a breakdown of the interview questions for each protocol
and how they relate to the conceptual framework.
Table 1
Qualitative Instruments and How They Connect to the Conceptual Framework
Instrumentation

Construct (from Chapter 2) Instrumentation
Sense of Belonging Interviews
Involvement Theory Interviews, Artifacts
Mattering and Marginality Interviews
Geek Defined Interviews, Artifacts

ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 53
Table 2
Interview Protocol for First-Year Students
Construct
(from Chapter 2) Interview Questions Related to It RQ
Sense of
Belonging
2. Describe the campus culture of your institution in relation to
geek culture. Have you been able to meet students with similar
interests?
Prompt: How has this impacted you?
Prompt: How has that been similar or different than your high
school experience? 1,3
3. How have the programs, activities, or student orgs offered by
your campus appealed to your geek identity? 1,2,3
4. As a first-year student at this institution, how have you found
people who had similar interests as you?
Prompt: How has that been similar or different than your high
school experience? 1
7. Suppose you were an administrator (like your Resident
Director), describe what utilizing geek culture on a college campus
could look like. 1, 2
Involvement
Theory
3. How have the programs, activities, or student orgs offered by
your campus appealed to your geek identity?
Prompt: How has this impacted you?
Prompt: How has that been similar or different than your high
school experience? 1,3
4. As a first-year student at this institution, how have you found
people who had similar interests as you?
Prompt: How has that been similar or different than your high
school experience? 1
5. How do you find out about programs and events happening on
campus? 1,2
7. Suppose you were an administrator (like your Resident
Director), describe what utilizing geek culture on a college campus
could look like. 1,2
Mattering and
Marginality
3. How have the programs, activities, or student orgs offered by
your campus appealed to your geek identity?
Prompt: How has this impacted you? 1,2,3
4. As a first-year student at this institution, how have you found
people who had similar interests as you?
Prompt: How has that been similar or different than your high
school experience? 1

ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 54
Table 2, continued
Geek Defined
1. You agreed to be interviewed since you identity as a “geek.”
Supposed I was someone who does not understand that term. How
would you describe it? 1
2. Describe the campus culture of your institution in relation to
geek culture. Have you been able to meet students with similar
interests?
Prompt: How has this impacted you?
Prompt: How has that been similar or different than your high
school experience? 1,2,3
6. Some would say that using the word “geek” is demeaning. What
would you say to someone who says that? 1
7. Suppose you were an administrator (like your Resident
Director), describe what utilizing geek culture on a college campus
could look like. 1,2

Table 3
Interview Protocol for Students of Senior Standing
Construct
(from Chapter 2) Interview Questions Related to It RQ
Sense of
Belonging
2. Describe the campus culture of your institution in relation to
geek culture. Have you been able to meet students with similar
interests? 1,2,3
3. How have the programs, activities, or student orgs offered by
your campus appealed to your geek identity? How has this
impacted you? 1,2,3
4. Thinking back to your first year at this institution, how did
you find people who had similar interests as you? Was that
similar or different than your high school experience?
1,2
5. How have you utilized your geek identify to connect with
other geeks?
1,3
8. Suppose you were an administrator (like your Resident
Director), describe what utilizing geek culture on college
campuses could look like.
1,2

ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 55
Table 3, continued
Involvement
Theory
3. How have the programs, activities, or student orgs offered by
your campus appealed to your geek identity? How has this
impacted you? 1,2,3
6. How do you find out about programs and events happening on
campus?
1,2
7. Some would say that using the word “geek” is demeaning.
What would you say to someone who says that?
1,3
8. Suppose you were an administrator (like your Resident
Director), describe what utilizing geek culture on college
campuses could look like.
1,2
Mattering and
Marginality
3. How have the programs, activities, or student orgs offered by
your campus appealed to your geek identity? How has this
impacted you? 1,2,3
4. Thinking back to your first year at this institution, how did
you find people who had similar interests as you? Was that
similar or different than your high school experience?
1,2
5. How have you utilized your geek identify to connect with
other geeks?
1,3
Geek Defined
1. You agreed to be interviewed since you identity as a “geek.”
Supposed I was someone who does not understand that term.
How would you describe it?
1
2. Describe the campus culture of your institution in relation to
geek culture. Have you been able to meet students with similar
interests? 1,2,3
5. How have you utilized your geek identify to connect with
other geeks?
1,3
7. Some would say that using the word “geek” is demeaning.
What would you say to someone who says that?
1,3
8. Suppose you were an administrator (like your Resident
Director), describe what utilizing geek culture on college
campuses could look like.
1,2

ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 56
Table 4
Interview Protocol for Residential Life Administrators
Construct
(from Chapter 2) Interview Questions Related to It RQ
Sense of Belonging
2. Describe the campus culture of your institution in relation to
geek culture. 1,2, 3
3. How have you been successful in using your geek identity to
connect with students?
Prompt: Can you describe other ways you have incorporated
geek culture with your students? 1,2,3
4. When thinking of ways to get students involved and help them
understand they have a place they belong, how important is geek
identity and can you share any examples? 1,3
Involvement
Theory
4. When thinking of ways to get students involved and help them
understand they have a place they belong, how important is geek
identity and can you share any examples? 1,3
5. I have been asking the students what they would do if they
were administrators to incorporate geek culture. Is your upper
administration supportive of utilizing geek culture to connect
with students?
Prompt: If not, how have you worked around that?
Prompt: If yes, how have you capitalized on that support? 2
6. How have you been successful in helping other administrators
and faculty understand the importance of geek culture for
college students? 1,2,3
Mattering and
Marginality
3. How have you been successful in using your geek identity to
connect with students?
Prompt: Can you describe other ways you have incorporated
geek culture with your students? 1,2,3
4. When thinking of ways to get students involved and help them
understand they have a place they belong, how important is geek
identity and can you share any examples? 1,3

ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 57
Table 4, continued
Geek Defined
1. You agreed to be interviewed since you identity as a “geek.”
Supposed I was someone who does not understand that term.
How would you describe it? 1
2. Describe the campus culture of your institution in relation to
geek culture. 1,2,3
5. I have been asking the students what they would do if they
were administrators to incorporate geek culture. Is your upper
administration supportive of utilizing geek culture to connect
with students?
Prompt: If not, how have you worked around that?
Prompt: If yes, how have you capitalized on that support? 2
6. How have you been successful in helping other administrators
and faculty understand the importance of geek culture for
college students? 1,2,3

This study followed all guidelines and procedures outlined by the institutional review
board at the University of Southern California and at the research site. All participants were
guaranteed confidentiality and a pseudonym was used when reporting the findings. Informed
consent was obtained from each respondent prior to the interview.
Validity and Reliability
Conducting research in an ethical manner ensures validity and reliability in qualitative
research (Merriam, 2009). Two threats to validity are researcher bias and reactivity. Maxwell
(2012) explained that researchers must understand how their values and expectations can
influence the outcome of a study, and understanding this influence and accounting for it can
ensure an ethical study. For this study, the researcher identified as a geek, and that is a bias that
both steered the direction of the research and assisted in providing context to the respondents.
Focusing on rich data collection through transcribing every interview ensured the researcher’s
bias did not interfere with what the respondent said. Additionally, another method the researcher
used to ensure validity is triangulation. Triangulation is the act of collecting data from different
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 58
sources and utilizing a variety of methods to reduce the risk of bias and strengthen the findings
(Maxwell, 2012; Merriam, 2009). The different sources were students, administrators, and
artifacts.
Data Analysis
Each individual interview was recorded and sent for transcription utilizing services
through rev.com. The constant comparative method was used to analyze the interviews and
artifact data. This method allowed for a comparison of incidents within data until patterns of
similarities and differences were found to group the data into categories or codes (Corbin &
Strauss, 2008). The codes represented key concepts derived from the raw data, and a hierarchy
was developed to categorize the findings (Lichtman, 2014). Once the data were collected through
the interviews, open codes were discovered that were stand-alone pieces of information. After
careful comparison of the data, themes began to emerge to categorize the data into axial codes.
Selective codes were then identified to group the data into the major themes that fit within the
context of the research questions. This allowed an understanding of the relationship between the
data and the overall purpose of the study. The researcher used NVivo to assist with coding. The
themes discovered are discussed in Chapter Four.
Summary
This study was a qualitative study that used interviews and artifacts to understand how
students who identify as geeks find opportunities for engagement on a college campus that
already does geek-themed programming. This study focused both on students and on the
administrators charged with creating inclusive communities that help students find their sense of
belonging and includes student reaction and response to these efforts. The results of the data
analysis are found in Chapter Four.
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 59
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS
This chapter presents the experiences of ten people who identify as geeks in a residential
college at a four-year public institution in California. The findings were drawn from semi-
structured interviews. Additionally, artifacts and evaluative data from an annual event were used
to describe geek programming and understand student response to the event. Several themes
emerged from the data to answer the research questions:
1. How has this residential education department incorporated geek identity in their
programming and other opportunities of engagement?
2. How do administrators in a residential education department foster a geek-friendly
community for students during their first-year of college?
3. How does utilizing geek identity impact student experience within a residential education
department?
The themes were defining geek (RQ 1, 2, and 3), connection and community through geek
identity (RQ 2 and 3), and engagement opportunities (RQ 1, 2, and 3). The presentation of
findings will begin with an overview of the participant profiles before exploring the main themes
in relation to the research questions.
Participant Profiles
Ten participants were interviewed, five students and five administrators affiliated with a
residential college. The residential college is one of ten at a four-year public institution in
California. For the purpose of this study, the college is identified as Residential College. Of the
participants, six identified as female and four identified as male. Each participant was assigned a
pseudonym for the study and each interview was transcribed using Rev.com and coded using
NVivo software.
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 60
Administrators
Brian supervises and leads the housing and residential education operations within
Residential College and has been in the position for three years. Derek is finishing his fourth
year and supervises the student leaders who create engagement opportunities through
programming and connection with their peers. Part of his role also includes holding students
accountable through the student conduct process, which gives Derek the opportunity to meet
with students individually to discuss their decision-making and behavior. Jeremy is an alumnus
of Residential College and has been working professionally for four years giving back to the
place that helped him find community. His role is to support the college programs coordinator in
designing, implementing, and evaluating college-wide events and activities in accordance with
their educational programmatic model and universal design. Alissa, an alumna of Residential
College, is the assistant to the college administrative officer, providing administrative support in
everything from scheduling both her calendar and some staff events to being the frontline contact
to students when they come to see her. Alissa has been in this position for just under a year, but
was a residential assistant for two years and a member of the housing staff right after she
graduated. Grace, an alumna of the neighboring residential college, has been in her role for 18
months, and she interacts with students daily in the main office. Her responsibilities include
assisting with front desk duties, performing preliminary advising for students, assisting with
drop-in and appointment scheduling for academic advisers, and managing the student mailroom
and the student clerks.

ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 61
Table 5
Administrators
Participants Gender Role Time at the
College
A1 M Supervises professional staff Three years
A2 M Supervises student leaders Four years
A3 M Oversees Programming Four years
A4 F Assists Director One year
A5 F Manages desk 18 months

Students
Lucy is a first-year female student in the residential college who is majoring in
economics. Carrie is a first-year female student who is majoring in computer science. The other
three students are all graduating seniors. Emma is a female, getting her degree in marine biology
with a minor in education. Sarah is a female, double majoring in politics and feminist theory with
a minor in literature. Lewis is a male, getting his degree in chemistry and holds a student
leadership position as a residential assistant within the residential college.
Table 6
Students
Participant Gender Major Year
S1 F Economics 1
st
year student
S2 F Computer Science 1
st
year student
S3 F Marine Biology, minor in Education Graduating Senior
S4 F Politics and Feminist Theory, minor in
Literature
Graduation Senior
S5 M Chemistry Graduating Senior

ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 62
Geek Defined
Defining and giving context to the definition of the word “geek” was essential to this
study. In the email sent to students and administrators at Residential College, the following
information was provided:
For the purpose of this study, Geek is defined as a person who enjoys the type of
environment and interests found at conventions such as Comic-Con International in San
Diego; is very interested in and knows a lot about a particular field; becomes extremely
excited or enthusiastic about a subject, typically one of specialists or minority interests; is
very interested in anything related to comic books, video games, science fiction, tabletop
games, or related topics; and can be found where obsession and intelligence intersect.
(“Geek,” n.d.; “FINALLY: The Difference between Geek, Nerd, and Dork Explained by
a Venn Diagram,” 2010; ‘geek,’ 2015).
Both students and administrators could relate to this broad definition, but they also shared
their personal opinions on the term “geek.” Five participants described being a geek as being
passionate about a specific topic. Alissa, an administrator, shared “I would describe a geek as
someone with an extreme passion about some sort of popular culture.” Another administrator
also focused on passion and how that passion can be fully integrated into all aspects of his life.
Jeremy shared,
I self-prescribe myself as a geek because I like Star Wars. I like watching Star Wars, but
it doesn’t stop there. I also brought a lightsaber to work today, and I also wear Star Wars
attire, and when thinking about programming, I also think about, how can Star Wars be
incorporated in our programming model.
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 63
For Jeremy, being a geek was all-encompassing, and it affected every aspect of his life
both personally and professionally. The day his interview was conducted was May 4, which is
commonly known as Star Wars Day by many fans, so it was no surprise that the topic of Star
Wars made it into the interview. Lewis, a senior getting ready to graduate, had similar thoughts:
“There is some geek in everyone. Everyone gets really, really passionately excited about
something, and having that, making the connection…it’s really cool.” Lewis’ definition
exemplified that everyone is a geek if they take time for introspection. Be it a comic book geek, a
theater geek, a book geek, or even a sports geek, people make connections with other people via
the things that really excite them. Grace, a first-year student, defined “geek” not only as
something that can be equated to being passionate, but also as a means of finding community
around interests like video games, comics, and cosplay (costume play) specifically as it relates to
anime or video games: “Talking about it with other people, forming this tight-knit community
with people who are into the same sorts of things” is all part of being a geek for Grace.
Sarah, a graduating senior, equated being a geek with being passionate beyond what is
acceptable in the mainstream. “For me, geekdom is really just [about] being really, really
passionate about stuff that is considered counterculture. That can be punk studies. That can be
comics.” Sarah’s passions fed into Broadway musicals, comic books, Dungeons & Dragons, and
video games like Bio Shock. Through this, she could connect real-life lessons and problems into
her passions as she used them as a creative outlet. Her definition also touched upon the fact that
some things considered geeky become mainstream, such as the Marvel cinematic universe or the
DC cinematic universe. “It gets really interesting the last 20 years, in my opinion, because of
how capitalism invested itself into certain levels of geekdom.” While this juxtaposition exists
between something that used to be counterculture and became more mainstream, it does not have
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an impact on the passion levels of the geeks interviewed. Whether it is about passion or finding
community, being a geek has many layers and intersections for people.
Elements of Geek
There are many elements of being a geek. Whether people are passionate about video
games, tabletop games, comic books, science fiction, or science and technology, everyone who
participated in the study smiled and looked excited when asked, “What do you geek out about?”
Additionally, age did not matter, as some geek elements transcended generations (such as the
Star Wars and Star Trek sagas). Alissa geeked out about “elements in TV or film or manga or
gaming. You know, a little more than your average Joe passion level.” For her, this extreme
passion manifested itself through her love of Doctor Who, and she wore a Tardis (fictional time
machine from Doctor Who) dress during the interview.
Brian, an administrator, shared that he enjoyed participation in geek culture because it
was so diverse and multifaceted. The aspects he affiliated with
Has to do with comic books, has to do with science fiction, has to do with super heroes in
general, and a lot of other folks also connect around things like tabletop gaming or novels
or there’s so many different kinds of things.
For many, it was a connection with fantasy and science fiction. Emma, a student, said
“So many things. I’m a bit of a DC Comics geek, and, I mean, how can you not be a Star Wars
geek in this day and age?” Lewis focused on science and games, sharing that he loved chemistry
and
a few video games, Dark Souls 3 and Skyrim, role-playing games. It’s fun to geek out
about science and get excited by those kinds of things because they have a direct purpose,
outside of just being fun to geek out about.
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Sarah also tied in academic interests: “Starting off with just the groundwork, feminist theory and
political theory. I literally cannot stop discoursing, but, for me, it’s a lot of narrative-based video
games.” Additionally, Sarah shared that her love of cats, musical theater, video games, and
FanFic [Fan Fiction] culture contributes to her involvement in nerd cultures. Through this, Sarah
used her love of writing and theory to create her own complex characters in Dungeons &
Dragons. Carrie, a first-year student, said “I feel like I’m very obsessed with pop culture, and I
like comic books, and, basically, I’m really obsessed with beauty as well. So, I call myself a
beauty geek.” Carrie’s response regarding beauty shows that something that can be mainstream,
such as beauty, can be examined or obsessed about at a geek level where it consumes many
aspects of her life.
Video games. A passion for video games and the worlds they represent was a common
thread for many of the participants, but a few of the participants went into great detail about the
connection they had with video games. Grace, an administrator, shared that she grew up with
video games like Zelda, Banjo-Kazooie, and Mario, which evolved into her love of gaming on
computers. For Grace, this highlighted the connection that video games can represent from
childhood to adulthood, especially as an element that she geeked out about as a child and
continued to geek out about as an adult. Grace also shared the intersection of being a woman and
a gamer and being very conscious of the avatar she chose online. When she was learning to play
League of Legends, the online gaming community would blame her mediocre game play to being
a girl rather than to being new to the game. Once she changed her avatar to an object that did not
denote gender, those criticisms ceased.
Jeremy described how video games can also have complex story lines and are a place
where action, drama, character development, and art are combined into one craft. He explained,
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 66
Video games are unique in that they’re multimodal and have a lot of different
components that I enjoy. It’s often relatable, and it’s easier for me to get into video games
because the number one thing is like, is it fun?
Lewis shared his opinion on video games and their importance to the college as a defining
characteristic of the geeks who live there. “[This college] is notoriously geeky, just because
we’re the science college and those things are usually associated. We have the video game
house.” The video game house was also mentioned in Jeremy’s interview. Jeremy shared that the
community was once more active. Having the perspective of being an alumnus, Jeremy shared
that the lounge was a communal space where people played video games at all hours and where
the community trusted each other enough to leave their game consoles in the lounge. With
enrollment numbers rising in recent years, the lounge was converted to a bedroom. While this
communal element was lost, each new resident population added a mural on the main stairwell
highlighting students’ talents and interests (most often related to something geeky) each year.
The video gamer identity was an important one for both students and administrators alike.
STEM. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This study
was conducted at a residential college where most of the students are in STEM majors. This
positively affected the geek identify of the students and college in terms of helping students find
community. Brian explained that there were many students who identified as geeks in the
college, and that can be linked to several things:
There are a lot of science and technology, engineering and mathematics majors here.
And, for some reason, there often tends to be a strong geek culture among that group of
folks. We have a gaming house that’s in one of our residence halls.
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 67
Grace continues, “the motto is ‘Science, Technology and Society,’ so we definitely have the
stereotype that we’re the geek college, we’re the nerd college, a lot of students in computer
science here, game design, stuff like that.” Lewis, who was also a student leader within the
college shared, “There are so many clubs. There’s the Tabletop Games Association. There’s the
League of Legends Club. There’s…If you want to find it, you will find it.” This residential
college was a place where student interest and academic majors seemed to intersect to build an
even stronger community for the students who lived there and the students who come to that
college to visit their friends. Additionally, administrators enjoyed sharing their interests and
hobbies with students as well.
Providing the context of what the participants geeked out about and why they considered
themselves geeks was important for this study. This provided the foundation of understanding
their geek identity to see how they incorporate it into college and how administrators use their
geek identity to connect with students.
Geek Community
At the time of this study, Residential College was known as a welcoming environment
for students who identify as geeks. It also allowed administrators who identified as geeks to
share their geek identity in the work environment. The students shared several examples of how
their geek identity helped them find community while the administrators shared how they used
their geek identity to both connect with students and facilitate the formation of community.
Overall, the participants shared whey the thought utilizing geek identity was important when
building community.
In a residential college, community can be found through programming, daily
conversations and interactions with people who live in the same building, and through the
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 68
classroom environment. Administrators organized College Nights with the intention of helping
students connect. Regarding a recent Game of Thrones college night, Alissa noticed that, no
matter what other identities or interests students have, a diverse group of students can come
together around this common interest:
It [the college night] helps pull in students and they realize, “Wow, I think I belong to all
these other groups, but look at the group of us that belong to this [insert geek interest].” I
think it’s really important for residents…those first couple of years, seeing that it’s a
good way to meet people, to connect.
That connection is easy for some students. Emma noted “It’s not that hard to find other
people who are also geeks. I mean, they’re going to show Star Wars in a classroom unit today
because it’s Star Wars Day.” Emma also touched about navigating a geek community that can
sometimes be sexist when it comes to her comic book interests. As a comic geek, she was a little
more hesitant at first and tested the waters. However, through word of mouth, she found a
community of students who trades comic books. “You’ll be like, ‘hey I just finished this. I want
to read this. Anyone have any tips about where I can get this for not that expensive’ and someone
will know.”
With time, she found a network of friends and overcame some of the hesitation about
being a woman comic book geek. Additionally, she became part of a network of students at the
university that traded comic books to save money and to stay current on the latest story lines.
For some, community was easier to find in college than it was in high school when their
geek identities tended to be more marginalized. Brian observed, “Some are concerned ‘I’m going
to be marginalized if I’m honest about this thing that I believe excites me’ starts to dissipate in
college when people start connecting with others over the very thing that used to marginalize
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 69
them.” Brian enjoyed seeing students finding confidence and becoming more engaged in the
community life as they grew more comfortable within their geek identity. One example that
came up in two different interviews was the community that formed around Magic: The
Gathering, a card game that represents a battle between wizards. Lewis shared,
I play Magic: The Gathering with my friends [from high school]. It was something that
we didn’t really tell a lot of our other friends, but here [in college] it’s like, I see people
sitting around, playing Magic: The Gathering in the grass, and it’s cool.
From the administrator’s perspective, Jeremy shared that, while attendance is not a
marker of a successful program, it does highlight student interest and justifies why geek
programming is beneficial. With the Magic: The Gathering program, Jeremy focused on the
purpose of the event:
We’re trying to create a program that involves a wide variety of people with a lot of
different identities that’s accessible to anyone who wants to participate. It’s this activity
that a lot of people didn’t think that they would go to and we ended up having over 100
people. That’s incredible.
This also shows that geek identity transcends ages and, much like video games, Magic: The
Gathering is one of those geek elements that can connect people and make that connection easier
in college. Many of these students had been playing Magic: The Gathering since they were
children while others were new to the game. Students from neighboring residential colleges
found out about this program and started to attend, expanding the community of Magic: The
Gathering players.
Overall, students found it easier to meet new people and find community at Residential
College. During her first year of college, Lucy shared that she could not find many people in
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high school who were geeks due to the size of the high school. “Here, it’s more like a
community, which is nice. So, you can meet people easier.” The environment makes it feel like a
closer-knit community. Working at the front desk, Grace has also noticed that it is easier for
students who live at Residential College. She noticed students posting art on their windows and
could see community form around what students post. Additionally, “just hearing students talk in
the dining hall about stuff, about games that are coming out or things like that I think is really
important.”
The dining hall and lounges became a point of connection for students. When the video
game house had a lounge, the community that emerged was organic. Jeremy shared that, while
the video game lounge probably made ITS [Information Technology Services] nervous due to
the game consoles being left in the open, “nothing happened and everybody could just game
together in this community space, and it was fine. Everybody was on the same page. It was
totally a beautiful example of community living where everyone’s respecting the space and
property.” Providing a space students could utilize was often the first step in supporting geek
students. Be it the dining hall and allowing students to use the space outside of meal times or
spaces within the residential colleges—both lounges and classrooms—students naturally
connected with others who have similar interests.
Another example of this community naturally forming was the Tabletop Games
Association, a student organization. Jeremy reflected, “when students found out that there were
professional educators, like administrators in their college that were also geeks, they felt
supported in their endeavors to create a community where people can just get together and play
games.” Because of the administrator support, the students received sponsorship by the college
and hosted weekly game events. “Fall quarter alone generally sees an average of, I think it’s
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 71
somewhere around 50 to 80 people. I think the regulars are about 50 people coming every
Saturday in the dining hall just to play games.” Having the support of the administration helped
make this student organization a success by providing a space and sponsorship for a weekly
activity that continues to have a positive impact.
Connection
Helping students make connections with other geeks can be an important role for
administrators. Whether talking to them at the front desk, interacting with students during a one-
on-one conversation, or seeing students at programs, the administrators interviewed had a variety
of opportunities based on their roles to get to know students. Derek shared,
I try and connect with folks that I think may be experiencing some of that self-doubt or
concern about fitting in and trying to connect people with groups and campus. What I try
to be sensitive to is connecting them with what they would say their geek interests are as
opposed to what I maybe necessarily think might a geek interest could be for me.
Identifying as a geek did make it easier for the administrators to find common ground with the
students and be seen as more approachable.
Approachability often started with offices and the décor used in each space. From Star
Wars to Doctor Who, to utilizing memes with pop culture references, and to subtle references
from shows that have a cult following like The West Wing or Buffy the Vampire Slayer,
administrators did not shy away from making their spaces comfortable environments for anyone
who walked into their offices. For clarification, a meme is “An image, video, piece of text, etc.,
typically humorous in nature, that is copied and spread rapidly by Internet users, often with slight
variations” (“Meme,” n.d.). Grace often used memes to decorate the reception area and they
became conversation starters with the students: “We have Welcome to ‘Walken’ Advising and
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 72
students and parents have laughed about that. And I have Yoda, and I’ve got Gandalf up there, so
people see my board and they say a little conversation piece about that.” Additionally, Grace
shared that t-shirts are often a sign a geek is about to approach the desk and this gives her a
chance to think about how to connect with a student: “Like if they’re wearing a t-shirt and it’s
got the Tri Force on it from Zelda, I’m like, I love your t-shirt…it makes them smile, it makes
them happy.” Because she knew what the shirt referenced, she formed an instant connection
with the student by acknowledging the shirt.
Making students feel comfortable was important for Grace, as she often was the first
point of contact when they came in to the office to ask a question. Alissa was similar. Her
workspace showed she was a Doctor Who fan and a Tardis pillow could be seen on one of her
chairs. “I fly my geek flag just a little bit. It’s funny how for certain students that kind of opens
up that maybe this is a more friendly environment.” Alissa’s décor was a conversation starter for
students who often asked her about favorite episodes, and students let their guard down.
Several of the other administrators also had daily contact with students and, sometimes,
had to have difficult conversations with students. Brian used his artifacts in his office as
conversation starters with students and really enjoyed talking about them:
I have this poster of, it’s an actual panel from an X-Men comic book from a couple of
years ago of Wolverine and Nightcrawler on a road trip, and there’s this little bubble
coming out of the radio that’s basically like, “Welcome to, this American life.” So, it’s
this thing where I’m like, “Look at that, this American life which I love as a grown up,
and the X-Men which I’ve loved since I was very small coming together.” I have to have
this in my office. And it has been such a great conversation starter with people,
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 73
particularly people who see it and get really excited because it’s, like, here’s a clear sign
that there’s something that this person cares about that I will, too.
For Brian, this was helpful when he met with students who might talk about the
consequences of their decision-making or might be in crisis. The toys he kept in his office
became entry points, especially with difficult conversations. He continued,
Something bad has happened, and I’ve really appreciated in those moments feeling like
we could start that conversation and relationship from a place of more happiness and
then, I think, because there is that shared connection that we have about something that
we both really, really love, then it makes it a lot easier to have actually the tougher
conversation that we might have to have in that moment.
He used his geek identity to break down perceived barriers between students and administrators
and have fruitful conversations. The students often felt more relaxed knowing they were talking
with a fellow geek who might have similar interests and hobbies.
Derek supervised student leaders who were trained in building community and
supporting their peers through crisis. Additionally, he also met with students who had violated
policy. He felt he had several avenues of connection because of his background in physics,
connection to video game culture, and connection to other elements of geek culture:
When I am working with student leaders, they I think, get a kick out of being able to
identify with who they perceive to be this old adult, who can keep up with them in terms
of talking about the latest video game or board game that they are enjoying.
If he didn’t have that connection, he would have missed a layer when it comes to student
interaction. When meeting with students with behavioral issues or in need of a roommate
mediation, this connection became even more imperative:
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Being able to have a conversation before we get to the unpleasant part of what, for them,
is going to be the unpleasant part of the conversation, they get to have a moment where
it’s a little less serious, it’s more relaxed and they can, “Oh yeah, this person also cares
about what I care about.
Ensuring a student felt comfortable during difficult conversations not only helped students feel at
ease, but it helped ensure the best possible outcome. In addition to being able to carry a
conversation about geek culture, Derek’s décor also helped students feel comfortable. Based on
his choice of décor, students could have conversations with him about Start Trek, Star Wars,
Broadway musicals, the Lego Star Destroyer hanging from his ceiling, or the annual Social
Fiction Conference.
Geek identity was a strong connection between student and administrator and helped
administrators build strong teams with their student leaders. Because of the way someone’s
office was decorated or due to overhearing a conversation about a specific game, the
administrator became more approachable. Jeremy described being geek as “a gateway to
acceptance” that allowed students to consider him more approachable or more nonthreatening
while in his role as a professional staff member. This helped Jeremy engage with new freshmen
students and new RAs who join the team. It is this geek identity that helped these administrators
support programming initiatives and create opportunities for engagement to help students find a
network and feel as though they have a place where they belong in their college and on the larger
campus. Through this, students realized they were part of a geek-friendly community.

ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 75
Engagement
Programming
Programming is a key component of any residential college and having programs hosted
in the college that appeal to geek culture assists students in beginning to form community. When
the college hosted a game night early in the year, they had traditional board games as well as
games that appealed to geeks passionate about tabletop games. Alissa described the event”
[It had games] like Settlers [of Catan], but then having Life, and having Monopoly and
other things. But to give the whole campus community a sense of this is something fun
while acknowledging the people who it’s maybe something a step above fun.
Jeremy also remembered first-year students and transfer students playing games in the dining
hall, hitting the capacity of 300 people, and witnessing students having fun for almost three
hours: “That event led to an impromptu, ‘after party’ where students basically initiated one of the
largest games of Ninja I’ve ever seen.”
This initial event helped tabletop gamer enthusiasts find each other within the college.
This event, combined with the weekly efforts of the Tabletop Games Association resulted in
community of tabletop gamers. Lewis shared his opinions on seeing tabletop gaming occurring
every Saturday, including games from Dungeon & Dragons, to The Game of Life, to Magic: The
Gathering. It was a community where any student can approach a table and say, “‘Hey, what are
you playing? Can I join?’ and hear ‘There’s a space opening in like ten minutes,’ and you can sit
and talk and just totally geek out.” For a student leader like Lewis, who was responsible for
helping students form connections, it was refreshing to see this happening organically. This is an
example of how both administrator-driven and student-drive events can build off each other and,
in this instance, how having a space for gamers is an important connection point for students.
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 76
Sometimes, the college planned events and the staff was surprised with the turnout. One
such program was the “Computer Spa Day.” Due to the student demographics and majors in this
college, it was successful. Derek shared that, had this event been organized at his previous
institution, only a couple of people would have shown up. At this college, many students brought
their computers and laptops, taking apart some of the mother boards, and used the compressed
air provided by the college. “The students knew that they would have fun with it because of their
identities, and there was support on the part of the administration for them to have the space
around with that.” Sarah reflected upon “Computer Spa Day” during her freshman year,
That was really fun, and I met some friends there because we were all, like, “Yeah, we
never have time to clean our computers.” You turn it all the way off and you hang out.
That was freshman year, and I still remember.
Emma explained, “I think a large part of geek culture is really being committed and showing up
and doing things,” and this college has been successful in creating these spaces for students and
either listening to what students want or providing the space for students to implement their own
ideas.
While the entire university campus is not considered “geeky,” this college was known for
geek identity and hosting programs that were sometimes open to the entire campus community.
Jeremy remembered a campus-wide video game tournament that had students from at least three
other residential colleges on campus. Students were “willing to make the trek across campus to
engage in this thing [video game tournament].” This is an important byproduct of geek
programming. Many universities focus on programming within the residence halls or residential
colleges to bring events directly to the students. Geek-themed events are not only good for
building community within the residential college, but they can result in students coming from
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 77
across campus to attend these events based on their interest. Jeremy remembered a successful
Magic: The Gathering event where approximately 120 people attended. Collaboration with a
store from downtown resulted in people asking questions, participating in the draft, and engaging
with community members about game playing tips. Connections were made as students met
other students who enjoyed Magic. Jeremy shared, “these students ended up getting together, and
then they subsequently made plans to make it a semiweekly thing to go down to Mythic Games
and play together. That’s exactly what we’re looking for.” The event was a conduit for
connecting students. This is an example of students finding community after attending a
university-sponsored event. Examples like the board game nights, computer spa days, and
Magic: The Gathering are all positive examples of what can occur when a student chooses to be
involved in the residential college leading to higher satisfaction and a sense of community.
Social Fiction Conference. The Social Fiction Conference was an annual event at this
college that had been hosted since 2009. The college’s website describes the conference as,
A unique opportunity for analyzing important societal issues in the context of science
fiction, fantasy, gaming and other related genres of entertainment. The conference is a co-
curricular program designed to create space for deep conversations about social justice.
Issues of identity, power, privilege, and oppression are discussed both through the lens of
our lived realities, and through the lens of various fictional worlds.
The year this study was conducted, the event was hosted on March 3rd and 4th and had
over 400 participants attend. Derek, one of the study participants, was the lead organizer for the
event. He shared that it had always been geared towards undergraduate students, giving them the
opportunity to submit program proposals about topics they felt were important to discuss. The
conference was open to all faculty, staff, and community members outside of the university. The
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conference was also linked to two of the first-year experience courses. Over the years, the focus
became more academic with social activities interspersed. The event had an opening and closing
keynote, trivia night, and a large cosplay event. In years past, some of the larger events included
glow-in-the dark Frisbee to fit the Tron theme and renting out a movie theater in their downtown
area to show a movie tied to the Social Fiction Conference theme. Through a recommendation
from other professional staff members, Derek reached out to the Wolves of Mandalore, a Star
Wars cosplay group located on the central coast of California and a branch of the worldwide
group The Mandalorian Mercs. When Derek contacted them, he asked the group if they would be
interested in doing a costume parade and interacting with students:
I had no idea how many people were going to come, I had no idea what they’re going to
say, and it ended up being a really great message about how this is a community of
people who do this because they enjoy it and have fun together doing the thing that they
enjoy. This is a community that will be supportive of me regardless of what’s going on.
The Wolves of Mandalore ended up interacting with and welcoming students who came dressed
in cosplay themselves. This was an example of how geek culture manifests itself outside of a
university setting and how community continues among adults.
Along with the social events, the team wove in more reflective pieces that were academic
in nature. The year of this study, there were four breakout sessions that included the following
presentations:
• Panel Discussion: Crowdsourcing Future Predictions
• Getting Gay with D&D
• Ask Not What Cyborgs Are, but “What Cyborg Are You?”
• The Prevalence of Bias in Science
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• DNation: Zero Degrees of Separation—an Augmented Reality Experience
• Genetic Engineering: Constructing for Better or For Worse
• Victor Frankenstein v. The Creature
• Wanted: Me-Avatars in Gaming
• Fan Works within Popular Media and Literature
• Living Dystopia: Bioshock
• Disney and Representation
• Ficw(rec)K
• Racial, Queer and Gender Representation Through the Use of Avatars
• How to Fight Monsters, or at Least Tame Them
University administrators, students, and community members facilitated all presentations.
One of the study’s student participants coordinated two of the presentations. Sarah developed
two lectures because she enjoyed using nerd material in an educational setting:
One is called Ficw(rec)k, so it’s like a train wreck and a fan fiction combined. The
session is basically, feminism 101 disguised as fan fiction. I also have one called Living
Dystopia Bioshock, which I’m hoping to extend into a series of Living Dystopias because
I really love the dystopian novel.
The Social Fiction Conference was a starting point for Sarah. She presented her
Ficw(rec)k session for the first time during her sophomore year and then made edits to the
presentation for Fanime, Sacramento’s anime convention. By the time senior year rolled around,
she had expanded her Ficw(rec)k session and created her Bioshock talk. The Social Fiction
Conference gave her the platform, the experience, and the confidence to present at conferences.
“Now, I’m going to be doing them at Fanime again. Two weekends ago, I did it at Silicon Valley
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Comic-Con, which is the biggest brand name con I’ve gotten into, even though Fanime was
actually more people.”
This is one example of how an opportunity provided at Residential College led to a larger
opportunity for Sarah to share her passions and interests with people on a larger scale. Presenting
at other conventions allows Sarah to network with people outside of the university setting. For
Emma, she has really enjoyed the Social Fiction Conference each year and prefers attending the
events put on by the college verses events put on by student organizations. Remembering her
freshman year, she stated, “That was steampunk year. There was a Doctor Who panel, and I had
two friends who were going and pulled me to trivia night. I like trivia, and, so, I ended up going
with them for that.” Now that she was a senior, Emma said, “geeks really show up, and, so, I
think that can really be utilized to make events really big. That’s why the Social Fiction
Conference is as big as it is.” Further, Brian noted that the Social Fiction Conference was “an
organized visible opportunity to get people who care about geek culture to all get together in a
room.” At the time of this study, administrators were meeting to discuss the tenth Social Fiction
Conference in 2018 and continue to build upon ways they create spaces for geek students to
express themselves and connect with others around social issues.
Importance
All ten participants described the importance of their geek identity in relation to the
residential college they were affiliated with be it through work or as a student. It was a means to
make connections with people and, for the students, affected their sense of belonging at the
university because of the community they have found at their college.

ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 81
Students
Carrie shared that she was made fun of in high school for having interests in technology
starting at the age of 15. She shared that she felt isolated even though she was in a high school
club called “Girls who Code.” Due to her experiences, she shared that programming was
important to a student’s geek identity “because people, like geeks, usually are already shunned
for being who they are, but to program events around it, it makes it more accepting. Makes the
person feel less weird about being a geek.” That feeling of acceptance and being a member of a
larger community is important to students. Grace, remembering her student experience added,
Feeling like you belong, not being ashamed of being really into something, and just
feeling that community and sharing your passion even though it might be super weird or
very niche, just knowing that you can talk to other people about it I think is really
important.
Additionally, for Grace, this was important because she had other people introduce her to the
geek world because of these connections that formed.
Acknowledging the stereotype of introverted geeks that depicts them as preferring to stay
inside their rooms playing video games or reading comic books is important, but human
connection is also important. If programming around geek identity did not occur, Sarah’s opinion
was, “We’re not going to leave our rooms. We’re not going to come if it’s not something we’re
interested in,” so geek programming should be continued. Additionally, Emma stated, “And
anyone can become a geek at any time. There’s no age limit. So, it’s super open to anyone in the
college.” This openness is what can make geek programming engaging. Students want to talk
about their passions and want to meet new people. Lucy believed that there were many people
interested in the idea of geek, but they may not know about it and programming can expose more
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 82
people to geek interests. “So, it’s actually interesting to meet new people, and you can actually
get a group of people that are pretty interesting together and you learn from them, too.”
Connecting with fellow geeks is something that students articulated that they valued. It increased
their comfort levels at the college and increased their sense of belonging and connection to the
college and to the students around them.
Administrators
A number of administrators shared they had a deeper connection with the importance of
geek programming because they did not have programs or opportunities of engagement that
appealed to their geek identity while undergraduate students. Brian shared that no one was
organizing geek events from the university level when he was in college. When he became a
student leader, he incorporated a superhero theme into customer service training and when he
was a residential assistant, he hosted Buffy the Vampire Slayer nights. Programming and creating
opportunities for students to connect around geek culture was important to Brian,
It just always returns to this idea of connection and relationship and engagement, which
we know to be really positive things. For me, there has been something, and I can’t put
my finger on exactly what it is or why, but something about connecting folks who have a
geek culture identity that is special, and super energizing for students, and it’s relatively
easy as educators to facilitate that for people. So, it seems like something that is not
difficult to support and it pays off significantly for students.
Derek also did not experience intentional geek programming during his undergraduate
career. There was an event or two that he attended, and he found ways to participate in group
activities recalling a competition where he helped build a dragon boat to race. Overall, he found
a level of importance with helping students find connections through geek identity in his position
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 83
as an administrator. He said, “If they are able to be themselves and they find the community in
their college environment where they can be themselves with friends, and it connects to that
space, they’re going to be more successful.” In his role as an administrator, it was his job to
ensure students were successful and he viewed that as his top priority: “There are always going
to be folks who identify, in some way, as geeks, and, so, giving them a space, I think, is just kind
of a requirement for doing the job well.”
Community and sense of belonging is a continuous thread for many of the administrators,
and programming to geek culture is just one more way to be inclusive to college-aged student
populations. Alissa described that, for some students, their geek identity is very salient and is
core to who they are and can sometimes be all-encompassing:
If you ignore it, it’s like you’re saying, “We’re not acknowledging that whole portion of
your life.” Whereby acknowledging it, it’s saying, “Hey, we realize this is important to
you…we see the value in putting it on so you feel like you belong.”
Brian also shared that he saw a shift in students after they found their geek community at
the college. “I see much more comfort in themselves, much more freedom in the way that they
express themselves and their thoughts in different spaces.” These administrators see the positive
outcomes their work around geek identity had on students. They witnessed the connections
students made with each other; the learning that occurred after students realized administrators
are approachable because of the geek décor in their offices; students’ development of a stronger
sense of selves, as students who attend Social Fiction Conference their freshman year as
participants attend as presenters during their senior year. When asked if incorporating geek
identity into programming was important or added value, Jeremy put it best:
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 84
Geek culture isn’t something in isolation. There is such deep incredible crossover with
elements of geek culture and elements of most things that people don’t perceive as being
a part of geek culture. For us, alone, for every wedge of our programming model, there is
a video game, movie, comic, some media form that could be classified as geek culture
that also satisfies the learning outcomes of that programming wedge. Whether it’s civic
engagement or intercultural awareness or multicultural, celebrating multiculturalism, or
examining intersectional identities, all the different -isms, that’s what Social Fiction
Conference is all about.
This intersectionality within identities is why it is important to incorporate geek culture into
programming and support the development of geek student organizations and other networks on
a college campus. Administrators in residential education exist to help students succeed by
supporting them through their college experience, and geek culture is just one element that can
lead to success.
Conclusion
Through the interviews, it was evident that this department incorporated geek identity
well into programming, which allowed students to make connections and form their own student
groups answering the first research question on how this residential education department
incorporated geek culture into engagement opportunities. In regards to the second research
question focusing on the role of administrators in fostering a geek-friendly community,
administrators regularly used their own geek identity to connect with students through meetings
and at events that help students view administrators are more approachable. Additionally,
administrators viewed their role as facilitating the opportunity for students to express their geek
identity and make connections on that level to help students get involved at more intentional
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 85
level within the college. This facilitation helps students find community and a network of peers
where they feel they belong. As Derek put it, administrators “recognize that students are going to
be more connected and more successful when they have the agency to create the things that they
want to engage with,” and this is why the college hosted events that incorporated geek culture.
At this college, through the work of administrators, students from unique populations become
involved in events, which resulted in a network of geek students who connected around common
interests and built strong connections with their peers. This shows the impact of utilizing geek
culture on the student experience, answering research question three. Chapter 5 will further
summarize these findings in relation to the literature to clearly connect the findings to the
research questions.

ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 86
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION
The purpose of the study was to identify how an office for residential life at a four-year
public university created community and opportunity for student engagement utilizing geek
identity. Applying the conceptual framework of Schlossberg’s (1989) theory of marginality and
mattering and Astin’s (1984) theory of student involvement and its relation to sense of belonging
highlighted the important role administrators have in effecting the geek student experience on a
college campus. The study was designed using a concept of geek culture that is often used to
describe the type of environment and interests found at comic book and science fiction
conventions such as Comic-Con International in San Diego to understand geek culture within the
context of programming and student engagement. The findings of the study connect geek culture
to students’ sense of belonging at one university. Further, the importance of utilizing geek
identity on a college campus was understood as both students and administrators reflected on
their experiences.
The background of the study revolves around student affairs administrators creating
opportunities for student engagement outside of the classroom to foster a sense of belonging and
involvement without a clear focus on what student interest encompasses. If administrators do not
intentionally engage students around their interests, students will not become involved or feel a
strong connection to campus, which is critical for a student’s success (Astin, 1984; Strayhorn,
2012). Intentional engagement opportunities offer multiple benefits to students, including
creating environments that foster belonging, higher commitment levels, and increased social
connection through specific subject matter (Astin, 1984; Cheng, 2004). Developing a sense of
belonging is even more critical for students on the margin, like those who identify as geeks, who
might not see activities that help them foster those critical connections. The results of this study
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 87
discovered whether the opportunities for connection for students who identify as geeks were
sufficient in helping them find community and whether administrators played a role in creating
these opportunities.
With the theoretical background of student involvement, mattering and marginality, and
sense of belonging in relation to geek identity, the following research questions were
investigated:
1. How has this residential education department incorporated geek identity in their
programming and other opportunities of engagement?
2. How do administrators in a residential education department foster a geek-friendly
community for students during their first-year of college?
3. How does utilizing geek identity impact student experience within a residential education
department?
An exploratory case study was used to collect data to understand the student and
administrator experience through interviews and artifacts. The constant comparative method was
used to analyze the interviews and artifact data which allowed for a comparison of incidents
within data until patterns of similarities and differences were found to group the data into
categories or codes (Corbin & Strauss, 2008). These themes and patterns were then correlated to
the research questions.
Chapter One described the purpose of the study and provided the background of the
problem. Chapter Two reviewed existing literature that described the conceptual framework and
examined empirical studies relevant to frame geek student experiences on a college campus.
Chapter Three outlined the methodology used to conduct the study and analyze the data. Chapter
Four explained the experiences of ten people who identify as geeks to gain a deeper
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 88
understanding of how one residential college at one university incorporated geek identity and
why that matters. Chapter Five summarizes the findings in relation to the literature found in the
conceptual framework. Additionally, implications for practice and suggestions for future studies
will be described.
Discussion of Findings
Using the constant comparative method to analyze the data, the following themes
emerged that correlated to existing research.
Table 7
Research Questions, Themes, and Literature
Research Question Finding Literature
How has this
residential education
department
incorporated geek
identity in their
programming and
other opportunities of
engagement?
Supporting student interest Astin (1984); Schlossberg (1989);
Bucholtz (1999); Cheng (2004);
Grossman (2005); Mendick &
Francis (2012)
Through specific initiatives
like the Social Fiction
Conference
Astin (1984); Hurtado & Carter
(1997); Rayle & Chung (2007);
How do administrators
in a residential
education department
foster a geek-friendly
community for
students during their
first-year of college?
Through formal and
information Interactions
Schlossberg (1989); Rayle & Chung
(2007); Strayhorn (2012)
Sponsoring or encouraging
programming Astin (1984); Schlossberg (1989)
Sharing their own geek
identity with students
Schlossberg (1989); Johnson et al.
(2007); Strayhorn (2012)
How does utilizing
geek identity impact
student experience
within a residential
education department?
Encourages involvement Astin (1984); Schlossberg (1989);
Osterman (2000); Cheng (2004);
Freeman & Anderman (2007);
Mendick & Francis (2012)
Helps student find
community
Astin (1999); Cheng (2004); Jonson
et al (2007); Dunbar-Hester (2008)
Increases sense of belonging Schlossberg (1989); Mendick &
Francis (2012); Strayhorn (2012)

ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 89
Research Question One
The first research question focused on how a specific residential education department
incorporated geek identity in their programming and other opportunities of engagement. Through
the interviews, it became evident that this residential education department incorporated geek
identity through supporting student interest and creating initiatives that were unique to this
college. This helped students feel a stronger connection the community by creating positive
identity practices where students actively engaged in their geek identity (Bucholtz, 1999).
Grossman (2005) described the geek cultural hegemony as a focus on language, games, and even
large-scale conventions like San Diego Comic-Con dominate conversations around geek identity.
Events focusing on video game tournaments, tabletop games, and a weekend-long conference
focusing on science fiction are ways that this college encouraged community and identity
building, which helped students become more confident. Mendick and Francis (2012) wrote
about geeks who are marginalized as adolescents and capitalize on their abilities to become
successful adults. The work done in this college helps lay the foundation for future student
success.
Supporting student interest. Bucholtz (1999) found that geek students very consciously
chose their social network and displayed their identity through social practices and language. The
administrators at this college understood the importance of social practices and language,
particularly when it comes to geek culture. Administrators were very supportive of student
interest and provided space in the dining hall every Saturday to allow for the Tabletop Games
Association to host weekly game events or to invite the local game shop to their Magic: The
Gathering tournament. Lewis, a student, shared his experiences playing Magic: The Gathering in
high school versus in college where the groups were larger and people played out in the open: “I
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 90
see people sitting around, playing Magic: The Gathering in the grass, and it’s cool.” Lewis
explained that people were more open about their geek identity. Further, when describing the
weekly Saturday Tabletop Games Association, Lewis said, “they sort of commandeer the dining
hall, and they have any board game you would want to play. There are tons of Dungeons &
Dragons games going.”
Administrators listened to the students’ request for space and supported their interests
through programming, which resulted in students like Emma declaring, “It’s not that hard to find
other people who are also geeks.” Marginality can be alleviated by social interaction, which is
why creating spaces for geek students to connect with each other is important (Schlossberg,
1989). Brian, an administrator, shared “facilitating that opportunity for students has been
valuable,” and the work that the administrators have done have helped students connect with
each other. Be it a Game of Thrones College Night or a “Computer Spa Day,” student interest
was encouraged and people attended because, as Derek explained, “students knew that they
would have fun with it because of their identities…and there was support on the part of the
administration for them to have the space around with those interests.” Administrators are
challenged to create and nurture an environment where college students feel respected for their
individuality and can find a community that they feel accepts them (Astin, 1984; Cheng, 2004).
This college succeeds in this because they keep a pulse on student interest.
Residential college initiatives. This residential college also incorporated geek identity
through specific initiatives such as College Nights, the Video Game House, and the Social
Fiction Conference. Staff also incorporated geek identity into every day signage such as
advertisements for walk-in advising, as Grace shared in describing the signage at the front desk
incorporating Star Wars, Star Trek, and a meme of actor Christopher Walken advertising the
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 91
hours of “Walken Advising.” Social support was also key in helping students cope with
academic stress and with increasing a sense of mattering (Rayle & Chung, 2007). Thus, this
signage and accompanying programs and activities are just another way that students feel
connected to the college.
Chapter Four also described signature events unique to this college, such as the annual
Social Fiction Conference. Both students and administrators conveyed excitement when talking
about this conference. Derek was the administrator who took the lead on the 2017 conference,
and he described it as “the content of social justice work with a context of science fiction fantasy
and gaming” coming together for a weekend-long event that had both social events and
conference-style breakout sessions. The conference, which had a strong focus on geek identity,
appealed to undergraduate students, administrators, and visitors to this campus. Each year,
different panels were presented, and Emma, one of the students interviewed, remembered going
to a Doctor Who panel because she was a fan of the show. Sarah, another student, shared, “We’re
not going to come if it’s not something we’re interested in,” and weaving geek culture into the
Social Fiction Conference ensured that a large number of students, who were engaged with these
topics, attended and participated in critical social justice dialogues. The year this study was
conducted, the Social Fiction Conference drew 400 attendees, a large number of students
spending time on a weekend engaged in critical dialogue with a geek theme. The video game
house and gaming event during welcome week are also important to note.
The initial experiences of transition to college determine if a student feels as though they
belong (Hurtado & Carter, 1997). To have a space where students live together but also share a
common interest in video games eases transition as they connect around a common language and
practice. Of note, when the university needed to create more bed spaces for students and closed
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 92
the video game house lounge to transform the space into a bedroom, a key communal space was
lost where students gathered to play video games. While many universities face this in times of
higher enrollment periods, it is an example of having to balance current student experience with
the need to accommodate more students to increase revenue. Often times, the experience of the
current students is impacted. This college also hosted a giant game night during welcome week.
Jeremy, one of the administrators who planned the event, described seeing 300 people, mostly
incoming first-year students, but also a few sophomores, playing games for over two and half
hours in the dining hall. The dining hall was at capacity with gamers. A group of students stayed
after the event ended and had an “impromptu ‘after party’ where students basically initiated the
largest game of Ninja I’ve ever seen.” This phenomenon that Jeremy described was exactly the
type of event that can foster a student’s sense of belonging to the college during the pivotal first
week of a student’s college experience. Focusing on welcome week activities that are
intentionally designed around student interest can be integral to laying the foundation of
belonging for students.
Research Question Two
The second research question focused on how administrators fostered a geek-friendly
community for students during their first year of college. This is a relevant question because of
the role administrators have in affecting, both positively and negatively, a student’s sense of
belonging. For college students, sense of belonging refers to the level of connectedness and the
amount of perceived social support students have from peers, staff, and faculty (Strayhorn,
2012). Through the interviews, three themes emerged that exemplified how administrators
fostered community: through formal and informal interactions, through geek programming, and
through sharing their geek identity with students.
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 93
Formal and informal interactions. Rayle and Chung (2007) expanded on Schlossberg’s
(1989) work and found that students still want to matter to their friends, and administrators need
to keep that in mind when supporting students in their transition to college. Listening to geek
students share their interests and creating opportunities for them to connect over said interests is
one way for administrators show that students matter. Carrie, a first-year student, shared that it
was isolating growing up identifying as a girl who liked technology. Finding other women who
have technology and geek interests, “makes it more accepting…it makes the person feel less
weird about being a geek.” The administrators recognized the importance of interactions on
mattering. Brian shared that he had seen students initially apprehensive to participate in events or
talk about their geek identity out of fear of being marginalized in the way they experienced in
high school. Through geek programming or through geek signage in offices, he witnessed
students getting excited about their geek identity, sharing, “There’s all kinds of different ways
that I see students blossoming and appearing to become more confident and more engaged, in
general, in their community life.” Additionally, Jeremy, an administrator, mentioned, “in the
informal interactions that I’ve had with students, when they find out how much of a geek I am,
some students are really disarmed by that and consider me to be more approachable and
nonthreatening.” Geek identity can be a component of building stronger relationships between
administrator and student.
Formal interactions matter as well. Part of the administrator role is to hold students
accountable for their behavior or act as a support during times of crisis. The administrators used
their geek identity as a connection point, as Brian explained, “Students who see [geek office
décor] get really excited because it’s a clear sign that there’s something that this person cares
about that the student cares about, too.” Derek used his geek identity as a conversation starter
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 94
and to help students feel at ease during behavioral conversations by talking about video games or
Broadway musicals: “It makes the interaction just simpler.” These interactions are examples of
how connections among students, faculty, and staff help students realize that others believe in
their ability, which directly affects the student’s feelings of personal worth (Schlossberg, 1989).
Sponsoring or encouraging programming and student organizations. Those with the
responsibility of building community, like residential life staff, are responsible for identifying
why some students get involved quickly and form a sense of community while others struggle to
find a connection (Schlossberg, 1989). Through programming that caters to student interest and
supporting students who create their own engagement opportunities, this college laid the
foundation for connection for many students. As previously mentioned, the Tabletop Games
Association was successful in part due to administrators finding a space for these students to
gather and play games every week. This created a space where connection happened organically.
Lewis shared that it was a fun space where students walked up to people and ask if they could
join a game. The group has people who regularly play Dungeons & Dragons, and novice players
who are just learning and all levels were welcome.
College Nights are also unique opportunities that encouraged student engagement as most
of these nights had a geek theme to them. The Game of Thrones theme brought out a large group
of students who discovered their common interest when they arrived at the event. Alissa shared,
“The administration is really pulling popular culture into that and giving students a space to
explore these ideas geeks like, there is so much reflection of the world in those things.” Jeremy
also remembered a student leader starting a group of Humans vs. Zombies and that continuing to
be successful for several years afterwards because of the student interest. Knowing that
administrators support student interest can make a difference for students as they transition to
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 95
college and look for a community they can identify with and participate in for the duration of
their college career.
Sharing geek identity with students. Geek identity as a commonality between
administrator and student can be a powerful tool of connection. Mattering acts as a motivator and
refers to a student’s belief that they are important to someone, whether other students,
administrators, or faculty (Schlossberg, 1989). Brian explained that he often met with students
who were not happy to be meeting with him in his office. When students saw that he displayed
his geek identity through his office décor, they, sometimes, were more receptive to talking. “That
shared connection that we have about something that we both really, really love makes it a lot
easier to have the tougher conversations.” Derek also shared similar experiences when students
notice the Lego Star Destroyer in his office or noticed the upside-down map in homage to The
West Wing. Both are conversation starters and seemed to be appreciated by students. Jeremy
added that he sometimes shared that he enjoyed playing Minecraft, and immediately students felt
more comfortable around him because he was a fellow geek. “That’s [geek culture] something
that has been really helpful in being able to engage, especially with our frosh students, but even
with our new RA staff.” Positive peer and faculty interactions can influence students’ sense of
belonging by making complex environments feel more socially or academically supportive
(Johnson et al., 2007). Connections with the staff and with faculty who attend events are
impactful for geek students.
Strayhorn (2012) found that social identities, and their intersections, have a strong impact
on belonging for college students. For the women interviewed, the intersection of their gender
identity with their geek identity was important. Grace, who was once a student at this institution
and was now an administrator spoke to how important her identity as a gamer was and how,
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 96
unfortunately, she was more accepted in the online world playing League of Legends after she
changed her avatar to a gender-neutral symbol. “Sometimes, it’s nice to tell someone, ‘Yeah, I’m
a girl and I play games.’ Like, I love Sky Rim, and, yeah, it’s definitely a cool piece of
information.” As an administrator, Grace used her geek identity to connect with students about
video games. Emma, a student, shared that the reason she selected this college was the geek
identity. “[The residential college] is known to be a nerdy, geeky group of people, so I
specifically ranked it as my top pick because of that.”
Jeremy felt that “being geek is a gateway to acceptance” at college, and that was true for
many of the students. Carrie classified herself as a beauty geek who loved both technology and
make-up, and Sarah was passionate about punk studies, comic books, and invested the time in
creating her own Dungeons & Dragons characters. Lucy enjoyed video games. All of the women
interviewed found acceptance through their geek interests. This acceptance of students’ geek
identity was found to be equally as important to students beginning to navigate their college
career as it did to those at time of graduation. Most importantly, they had the support of
administrators by virtue of attending programs and events.
Research Question Three
The third research question focused on identifying how utilizing geek identity affects
student experience. In school, adolescent geeks who are abject or made to feel like an “other,”
may feel isolated and not have access to social capital, but, as they become adults, they start to
network with other geeks who have a similar skillset and share similar interests (Mendick &
Francis, 2012). Creating the opportunity to network in college is one way that this residential
college has an impact on the geek student experience. Further, these connections have an impact
on whether a student feels as though they belong. Sense of belonging can be attributed to
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 97
involvement on campus, acclimation, and the feeling of importance to other students, staff, and
faculty (Cheng, 2004; Freeman & Anderman, 2007; Osterman, 2000; Schlossberg, 1989).
Additionally, encouraging mattering and involvement on campuses have proven to be successful
in creating campuses that foster motivation in students to learn while helping with retention rates
(Schlossberg, 1989). By utilizing geek identity, this college had positive impact on its students,
encouraged involvement, fostered a strong geek community and, ultimately, affected students’
sense of belonging at the college and at the university.
Involvement. A highly involved student is described as one who devotes considerable
time and energy to studying, being on campus, participating in student organizations, and
interacting with peers, administrators, and faculty (Astin, 1984). This residential college created
an environment where students are interacting with their peers, staff, and faculty; where students
attend events and connect to student organizations; and where students form study groups due to
their similar majors. Part of administrator success is incorporating geek identity into common
practices. Whether hosting events, advertising services, or through student meetings, geek
identity was prevalent. Lewis, a graduating senior shared that he was an officer in the Chemistry
Club and helped with geek events like the League of Legends program. Sarah, another student,
met people in classes, in queer spaces throughout campus, and at events. She specifically
mentioned one of her classes focused on virtual cultures as a means to connect with the faculty
member who taught that course and to make connections with other students. Carrie also shared
that involvement in the society of women engineers helped her find a “network with women of
like-minded interest because growing up being a girl interested in tech is pretty isolating.”
Additionally, the geek-themed College Nights encouraged involvement and strengthened
networks based on interests in Game of Thrones, Dr. Who, or the latest geek trend. Sarah added,
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 98
“[This college] is very well known for their geekiness,” and that was the deciding factor for
some of the students’ choosing where to live.
Community. Social networks created through living in residence halls can influence
sense of belonging based on peer relationships and supportive inclusive environments (Johnson,
et al., 2007). Therefore, it is imperative for residential education departments to help facilitate
community building when students begin college. Focusing on geek identity as one avenue for
connection can be impactful for students who might have been bullied for their geek interests in
high school. Both geek and activist identities involve marginalization and are defined in
opposition to the mainstream (Dunbar-Hester, 2008). As geeks enter college, they begin to
construct their identity beyond their experiences of being marginalized in high school. They find
others who share similar interests and possibly have a shared marginalized experience, which is
used as a basis to form a new community of geeks.
The administrators saw evidence of students gaining confidence as they found their
community. Brian shared that he saw a shift from fear of marginalization to students becoming
more comfortable talking about their geek identity. At that point, he “sees students blossoming
and appearing to become more confident and more engaged, in general, in their community life.”
Jeremy has also noticed students ostracized for liking certain things:
It was, like, I enjoy watching anime, and I can’t talk about that with my other friends
because they will judge me and I’ll feel excluded from that in-group because I’m
admitting that I like watching this genre of show.
He viewed his role as an administrator as helping to facilitate a connection so students do not
feel isolated. Alissa added that, if you ignore geek interests, students will not feel like this
college was ever a place they could be themselves: “We’re not acknowledging that whole portion
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 99
of their life.” Through events like the Social Fiction Conference, Alissa shared that they get to
give the “whole campus community a sense that [geek programming] is something fun.”
For Carrie, living at this college and attending programs makes being a geek feel “more
accepting and less weird.” Sarah added that she found community her first year in college
because of shared interests: “Let’s find a few people and let’s share interests, which I thought
was very cool actually, because, yeah, I found people who also liked StarCraft.” For Emma, it
was not hard to find a strong geek community. In her opinion, “geeks really show up, and I think
that can really be utilized to make events really big for one thing; that’s why the Social Fiction
Conference is as big as it is.” Grace shared that knowing they are part of a geek community and
having people to talk about geek culture is important for students and affects their experience:
“Being able to talk about it and sharing your passion even though it might be super weird or very
niche, just knowing that you can talk to other people about it is really important.”
Astin (1999) found that the most powerful aspect of involvement theory is that of the
effects of peer groups, and this residential college was successful in creating community for geek
students. Brian found that there is “something about connecting folks who have a geek culture
identity that is special, and super energizing for students, and it’s relatively easy as educators to
facilitate that for people.” All students interviewed expressed appreciation for the community
they found through living at this college and participating in the events and student
organizations. Additionally, Cheng (2004) found that three aspects that affect community were
students feeling cared about and valued as an individual, feelings of loneliness that have an
adverse effect on community, and a quality social life on campus. As previously mentioned,
interactions with staff who share their geek identity with students and the social networks that
are a byproduct of living in this college affect a student’s happiness with their college
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 100
experience. This connection increases belonging, helps students feel they chose the right college
and ultimately, affirm that they chose the right university for their undergraduate career.
Sense of belonging. During college, it becomes evident that geeks are multifaceted and
have many interests. Identifying as a geek has less to do with what is portrayed in popular culture
and more with what Mendick and Francis (2012) call cultural markers. For the students at this
residential college, this includes video games, Magic: The Gathering and other games, and
science fiction entertainment like Star Wars and Dr. Who. College is where community and
social capital are built around these cultural markers. Jeremy shared, “When it comes to geeks, a
lot of geeks have a lot of things that they care very, very deeply about.” Therefore,
administrators take the time to learn what those things are and sometimes share in those same
interests as the students which results in programs around gaming culture, computers, and
science fiction. Some administrators also decorated their office with geek décor. Derek
considered creating these spaces as his job:
If my job and my priority is to make sure that people are successful, then that’s what we
should do, and there are always going to be folks who identify, in some way, as geeks,
and so giving them a space I think is just kind of a requirement for doing the job well.
With these opportunities, students feel a connection and gain confidence. Carrie shared, “geek
culture is a part of me, and I feel like being a geek is just embracing who we are, not caring
about what people think about your interests, fandoms, and stuff. I don’t care what people think
anymore.” The students are not hesitant to express their geek identity.
Strayhorn (2012) synthesized belonging as what students do (involvement) stimulating
belonging or mattering, which can give administrators ideas for what they can do to create
opportunities for engagement that encourages a stronger sense of belonging. Strayhorn also
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 101
found that the connection to mattering is strengthened by Schlossberg’s (1989) research,
specifically when focusing on the importance of feeling valued for marginalized individuals.
Alissa shared “we’ve made them feel that they belong. We’ve made them feel that their geek
identity is important, and hopefully they can go out into the world and share that with other
people.” Through involvement in the Social Fiction Conference, students learned to see
themselves as educators. Sarah shared the evolution of her confidence over the four years
resulting in her leading two different presentations at this year’s Social Fiction Conference and
explained how nerd/geek culture can be used to teach life lessons: “If you’re going to be writing
fan fiction, make it feminist. That’s not hard. You can even have your characters ask about
consent.” Throughout the four years connected to this college, students found their place as
educators, as student leaders, and as community members because of their geek identity.
Limitations
One of the limitations of this study was time. Interviews were conducted over a four-day
period that resulted in some interviews being conducted back-to-back. This affected the
researcher’s ability to read over field notes and practice reflective thinking to adjust any of the
semi-structured questions. Additionally, due to the interviews being conducted towards the end
of the academic year, the researcher was unable to share transcripts with the participants to verify
the data transcription. Interviews also did not account for cultural differences or students’
willingness to talk about themselves and their experiences. One of the ten interviews only lasted
15 minutes as compared to the average 45 minutes. Lastly, while some artifacts were accessible
in the form of event evaluations, the data from the most recent Social Fiction Conference was not
accessible via the data-sharing site utilized by the residential college administrators. Had that
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 102
information been accessible, a deeper analysis to identify patterns in attendance and satisfaction
of geek students could have been conducted.
Implications for Practice
This study has implications for practice for student affairs administrators who are
responsible for creating engagement opportunities for students. The purpose of this study was to
examine how one residential education department incorporates geek culture and to examine
why this is important. Astin (1984) encouraged universities to critically look at systems, policies,
and procedures set in place that can have a direct effect on increasing or reducing student
involvement. Thus, the researcher chose to look at the programming and engagement
opportunities offered by one specific residential college. The findings from this study support the
incorporation of geek identity as a tool to help students connect and acclimate to the university
via their college as it can affect overall sense of belonging. Additionally, the findings show that
positive outcomes can occur when administrators and students share common interests, which
can make administrators seem more approachable. Student participants shared that the
connections and friendships they made during their first-year of college carried them throughout
all four years as they continued to connect via geek student organizations and at events. Students
shared their geek identity by presenting at the Social Fiction Conference as they progressed in
their academic career and by becoming student leaders who organized programs and events for
incoming students.
Administrators should look at geek students as a potential marginalized population based
on their social identity. While this study highlighted the various ways that geeks define
themselves, there were several common shared experiences of being “the only” during their high
school careers: the only girl who enjoyed technology, a small group of people who enjoyed a
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 103
specific game, or seemingly the only person who enjoyed comic books. During college, this
changes if students can find their community and administrators can assist students’ social
acclimation. Programming to geek culture resulted in students coming to an event because of the
deep passion they have for a certain topic, such as Star Wars, Magic: The Gathering, Dungeon &
Dragons, Dr. Who etc. It helps students connect across residential colleges. With administrators
initially planning events and noticing geek student interests, students realize that they matter and
that they can find a community. Additionally, this study shows the benefits that can occur when
administrators personalize their offices with décor that represent their personality. The
administrators interviewed openly displayed their geek interest through their decorations, and
their supervisors were supportive of this. These decorations varied from Lego figurines to comic
books to POP figures, and all proved to be conversation starters for the students.
While there is existing research on how geek culture has been incorporated into academic
course design, this study focused on incorporating geek culture into student affairs via student
engagement opportunities, an area that was missing from research. This study implied that there
is value to incorporating geek culture into a residential education department, especially at the
start of the academic year to help students find community. For the students interviewed, it
increased their likelihood of getting involved in during welcome week, it helped them connect
with administrators, and it was a means to build stronger friendships while in college. It was also
an avenue for students to share what they are passionate about via the things they “geeked out”
about, which often connected to real-life situations. It helped these students cope with change
and increased their connection to the residential college. Using geek culture as a means of
involvement for these students affected their mattering and sense of belonging, and this can be
replicated in other residential education departments.
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 104
Future Research
As stated previously there was a gap in literature when it came to utilizing geek culture in
the student affairs arena. Articles focused on geek adolescents, the STEM field, and geek culture
that strengthened curriculum in the classroom setting. Due to this, there is much that can be
researched when it comes to geek culture and its use in student affairs to help engage students
socially. One area that can be studied is gender and the different experience geek students face
while taking gender identity into consideration. Another area of study could be a comparison
between a university that incorporates geek culture well juxtaposed with a university that does
not utilize geek culture in their engagement opportunities and the effects that has on the geek
student experience. Finally, there was rich data acquired by speaking to administrators and this
researcher suggests a separate study that focuses on the various ways student affairs
administrators utilize geek identity to be successful in their work with students.
Conclusion
Geek identity matters to college students. Recognizing that and utilizing geek identity to
welcome students to their university experience can be important. Derek put it best when he
explained, “If students are able to be themselves and they find the community in their college
environment where they can be themselves with friends, and it connects to a space, they’re going
to be more successful.” The connective element in this is geek culture, which is not always seen
as an important element of belonging or success at a university. The findings contribute to a
deeper understanding of the importance of geek culture when identifying ways to connect
students and encourage them to get involved on campus. What was once considered a hobby or
interest has deeper ramifications for geek students. Acknowledging and embracing students’
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 105
geek identity, providing them with space and opportunity to explore their identity, and openly
sharing similar interests, are ways in which administrators can build strong communities.

ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 106
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ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 111
Appendix
Interview Protocols
Interview Protocol: First-year Students
Research Question
1. How has this residential education department incorporated geek identity in their
programming and other opportunities of engagement?
2. How do administrators in a residential education department foster a geek-friendly
community for students during their first-year of college?
3. How does utilizing geek identity impact student experience within a residential education
department?
Interview Questions
1. You agreed to be interviewed since you identity as a “geek.” Supposed I was someone
who does not understand that term. How would you describe it?
2. Describe the campus culture of your institution in relation to geek culture. Have you been
able to meet students with similar interests?
3. How have the programs, activities, or student orgs offered by your campus appealed to
your geek identity? How has this impacted you?
4. As a first-year student at this institution, how have you found people who had similar
interests as you? How has that been similar or different than your high school
experience?
5. How do you find out about programs and events happening on campus?
6. Some would say that using the word “geek” is demeaning. What would you say to
someone who says that?
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 112
7. Suppose you were an administrator (like your Resident Director), describe what utilizing
geek culture on a college campus could look like.

ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 113
Interview Protocol: Senior Students

Research Question
1. How has this residential education department incorporated geek identity in their
programming and other opportunities of engagement?
2. How do administrators in a residential education department foster a geek-friendly
community for students during their first-year of college?
3. How does utilizing geek identity impact student experience within a residential education
department?
Interview Questions
1. You agreed to be interviewed since you identity as a “geek.” Supposed I was someone
who does not understand that term. How would you describe it?
2. Describe the campus culture of your institution in relation to geek culture. Have you been
able to meet students with similar interests?
3. How have the programs, activities, or student orgs offered by your campus appealed to
your geek identity? How has this impacted you?
4. Thinking back to your first year at this institution, how did you find people who had
similar interests as you? Was that similar or different than your high school experience?
5. How has you utilized your geek identify to connect with other geeks?
6. How do you find out about programs and events happening on campus?
7. Some would say that using the word “geek” is demeaning. What would you say to
someone who says that?
8. Suppose you were an administrator (like your Resident Director), describe what utilizing
geek culture on college campuses could look like.
ENGAGEMENT UTILIZING GEEK CULTURE 114
Interview Protocol: Administrators

Research Question
1. How has this residential education department incorporated geek identity in their
programming and other opportunities of engagement?
2. How do administrators in a residential education department foster a geek-friendly
community for students during their first-year of college?
3. How does utilizing geek identity impact student experience within a residential education
department?
Interview Questions
1. You agreed to be interviewed since you identity as a “geek.” Supposed I was someone
who does not understand that term. How would you describe it?
2. Describe the campus culture of your institution in relation to geek culture.
3. How have you been successful in using your geek identity to connect with students?
a. Can you describe other ways you have incorporated geek culture with your
students?
4. When thinking of ways to get students involved and help them understand they have a
place they belong, how important is geek identity and can you share any examples?
5. I have been asking the students what they would do if they were administrators to
incorporate geek culture. Is your upper administration supportive of utilizing geek culture
to connect with students and if not, how have you worked around that? If yes, how have
you capitalized on that support?
6. How have you been successful in helping other administrators and faculty understand the
importance of geek culture for college students?

Abstract (if available)

Abstract The goal of this dissertation was to understand how geek identity can be used to create opportunities for engagement and to build community for undergraduate students at a four-year public institution in a residential college setting. Schlossberg’s theory of marginality and mattering and Astin’s theory of involvement were used a framework to understand the impact on sense of belonging for college students who identify as geeks, with geeks being a socially marginalized group. This case study consisted of interviews with five students and five administrators and an examination of artifacts such as advertisements and assessment from past geek programming. Findings were analyzed utilizing the constant comparative method, and implications for practice are discussed as they relate to residential life and student affairs administrators to result in programs or interventions that can be adapted at other universities. The findings concluded that incorporating geek culture had positive impacts by supporting student interest and encouraging involvement in the residential college. Additionally, administrators can impact students’ sense of belonging to the university by showing their geek identity through formal and informal interactions and supporting student programming.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Sandoval, Emily Therese (author)

Core Title Creating opportunities for engagement and building community utilizing geek culture in a residential education department

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education (Leadership)

Publication Date 02/15/2018

Defense Date 10/25/2017

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag geek culture,geek identity,involvement,marginality,OAI-PMH Harvest,residential college,sense of belonging

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Tobey, Patricia (committee chair), Crispen, Patrick (committee member), Hinga, Briana (committee member)

Creator Email emilytsandoval@gmail.com,etsandov@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c40-476812

Unique identifier UC11268334

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Legacy Identifier etd-SandovalEm-6048.pdf

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Document Type Dissertation

Rights Sandoval, Emily Therese

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Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

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