Women and Technolgy - The Gender Gap in Computer Science
Abstract: This paper reviews the gender gap that exists in computer science. By analyzing the probable causes of the divide, solutions may be developed and possibilities of minimizing the gap increase. Although the general public’s efforts toward shrinking the divide subsist, modern society must change its views of women before the technological world can fully appreciate women’s talents.
A gender gap undeniably exists in the field of computer science. Hundreds of headlines in newspapers, journal articles, and magazines continually demonstrate the divide to society, and studies performed by well-respected universities like Harvard and MIT highlight its continuing effects. More recent studies provide evidence that the number of women in computer science is decreasing, despite the recruiting efforts of the technology field. The underrepresentation of women results from stereotypes of computer scientists, weaknesses within the computing community, and the social construction of women in computer science. In order to boost women's presence in technology, society must have a firm grasp on the problems themselves, and address them with fundamental changes in the way we perceive women in computer science on the cognitive level.
The increasing gender divide in computer science is well documented. As an issue of Technical Training recorded, “intake of [women] computer science students in the UK has dropped from 37 percent a decade ago to 5 percent in 1998.”[5] Other nations, including the United States, have noticed a decline in the number of women in the field. New Scientist found, “[w]omen dominate in several subjects, namely degrees preparing students to be infant sch...
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...un IT, Bill Goodwin.
[9] Newsbytes, January 16, 2001, 337 words, Gender Salary Gap Smaller in Tech Industry – Study, Dick Kelsey
[10] Information Week, August 9, 1999, Women Make Gains in Top Management, Jennifer Mateyaschuk.
[11] http://www.mills.edu/ACAD_INFO/MCS/SPERTUS/Gender/pap/pap.html
Why are There so Few Female Computer Scientists?
Ellen Spertus - 1991
[12] The Times Union, February 7, 2001, 565 words, Albany, N.Y., Council Meeting
Offers Women Advice on Using Technology, Danielle T. Furfaro.
[13] Achieving Gender Equity in Science Classrooms, 1996, NECUSE Colleges and Brown University students and faculty
[14] Encouraging Women in Computer Science, 1996, Eric S. Roberts (Stanford University)
[15] Electronic Engineering Times, February 12, 2001, 1261 words, Engineers Week Aim: to Reach Schoolgirls, Terry Costlow
But sex-segregation does not really explain the overall gender wage gap. Women’s average educational attainment now exceeds that of men’s and as a result, women have been entering previously considered to be “masculine” occupational fields at growing rates. Even in the STEM fields, women are no longer underrepresented except for in computer sciences and engineering. However, gender wage gap is present at every level of the career ladder in every field. How and why does this
Motion picture actor Will Rogers once said, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” So have you wondered why that someone treats you differently than others? Possibly see you a certain way? Or think about you in a particular fashion? All this happens because of the impressions you make and how your peers process it. A first impression is the event where one person encounters another person and forms a mental image of that person. It only takes 1/10 of a second for us to judge a person and create an image about them (Wikipedia). Although you may not know it at first, you are constantly judging others while they in turn watch and make speculations about you.
How first impressions are formed has been a subject of interest by many researchers in the area of psychology.
If the nineteenth century was an era of the Industrial revolution in Europe, I would say that computers and Information Technology have dominated since the twentieth century. The world today is a void without computers, be it healthcare, commerce or any other field, the industry won’t thrive without Information Technology and Computer Science. This ever-growing field of technology has aroused interest in me since my childhood. After my twelfth grade, the inherent ardor I held for Computer Science motivated me to do a bachelors degree in Information Technology. Programming and Math, a paragon of logic and reasoning, have always been my favorite subjects since childhood.
Maybe America’s educational leaders don’t understand what computer science is, which is why they don’t place enough emphasis on this invaluable skill for now and the future. Less than 7 percent of the state’s high schools offer courses in the important science.
Wherever we go, we look around and often judge people by their personal traits, the way they talk, or maybe even how they dress. What this is called is impression formation. It is the process of how we gather information to have an overall impression of someone’s character. This is done by using their physical traits and the way they behave as our available information to make our judgement. In 1946, Soloman Asch published his own study of impression formation. He was mostly interested in how humans formed their impressions of other human beings. Throughout many of his experiments he demonstrated that when forming an impression it had four key elements. The elements were, organized process, relations of harmony and contradiction, central qualities are discovered, and that the characteristics are perceived differently. At least now we probably know why they say that first impressions matter! In my day to day life, I use impression formation by the way someone looks or their first conversation or interaction with me. With those two
STEM is best known as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM for many years has been primarily seen as and stereotyped into a masculine work field. But as of recent years, while it expands, more and more women have been rising in these fields. However, there is still a tremendous gender gap between men and women in these fields and areas of work. The gender gap between men and women in STEM is alive and well. There is no denying that the gender gap between men and women in STEM is immense. But there instead are many sufficient reasons as to why there is such a huge gap between men and women within in fields. Some probable causes for the lack of women seen in these areas are biased towards women, unconscious bias girls receive
Women graduates from the 16 Wisconsin Technical College Districts in 2003 made up 12,589 (65%) of 19,358 graduates as compared to 6,745 (35%) men. The percentage of women graduates from the WTCS has increased significantly since the 1980s but has been more than 50% for at least the last 20 years. The percentage of women graduates nationally from American two and four colleges and universities is increasing significantly each year and will eventually exceed or be on a par with men graduates from higher education nationally in “most” academic and professional majors, if they do not already exceed men in 2004.
Carol B. Muller, “The Underrepresentation of Women in Engineering and Related Sciences: Pursuing Two Complementary Paths to Parity.” National Academies Press (US); Web. 2003.
In 1970 women had earned only 17% of a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering computer science, and natural sciences. In 1995 though, the proportion was still low but it increased to 31%. (Macionis 1998).
With technology rapidly changing as fast as we blink our eyes, it is important for people to learn as much as possible about the computer world if they want to maintain a decent lifestyle because the world we live in revolving around those technologies. As McKee points out, “most jobs now require intelligence and technical skill” (1). Each year, there is something either added or modified to computers, which forces people to learn computer literacy at a steady pace. While some love computers, others despise them. When comparing people’s attitudes towards computers, statistics show a gender gap that proves most females’ attitudes are drastically different from the attitudes of males. Several studies prove that women not only lack an interest in technology, but they also chose not to enroll in computer classes. Since computers and technology play an enormous role in the world today, more technology professionals are needed. It is extremely important for more women to become knowledgeable in these areas. Swain and Harvey argue, “This technology gender gap is affecting half our population and causing it to be unprepared to contribute to the demands of a high-tech twenty-first century” (17). While this may not seem like a serious issue to some, it is an issue that will ultimately lead to a bigger problem if not handled immediately. So why are there so few women in the technology field? To answer that question, I must first find out why are there so few women in the technology and computer classes, considering that this atmosphere is the most common place where the interest for computers is born.
Girls are seen as caring, nurturing, quiet, and helpful. They place other’s needs above their own. Girls get ahead by hard work, not by being naturally gifted. Boys are seen as lazy, but girls are seen as not capable. In class, teacher will call on boys more than they call on girls. Boys are seen as better at math and science; while girls are better at reading and art. This bias is still at work even out of the classroom. There are more males employed at computer firms than women. The ratio of male to female workers in STEM fields is 3-1. In college, more women major in the humanities than in the sciences. In education, women are often seen as lesser than; even though 65% of all college degrees are earned by women. Women are still often seen as needing to be more decorative than intellectual, as represented by the Barbie who included the phrase, “Math is hard!” and the shirt that JC Penneys sold that said, “I’m too pretty to do homework, so my brother has to do it for me.” While there was a backlash on both items, it points out that there is a great deal of work to do on the educational gender bias to be
What are first impressions? According to Merriam-Webster, an impression is an especially marked and often favorable influence or effect on feeling, sense, or mind. In reality, first impressions are much more than an association, especially living in a world when the masses believe two chances is one too many. First impressions generate or consume the professions we obtain, the dates we land, the colleges we earn, and other circumstances in life. However, society does not realize how considerable first impressions are in our lives, typically judging a person when nothing is even known about them.
“You never get a second chance to make a good first impression” (Forbes, 2014), a quote often attributed to Will Rogers, is a clever summary of the importance of making a good first impression. Most of the time we forget the power of making a good first impression and the role it plays in our daily lives. The impression we get the first time we meet a new coworker or acquaintance immediately influences how we treat them. “Just three seconds are sufficient to make a conclusion about fresh acquaintances” (Flora, 2004). Not much can be spoken in three seconds, so our nonverbal cues during a first meeting are exceedingly important.
...cs. In the years, the country has started to realize the injustice it has been doing females in the field of mathematics. I believe that in the future these biases and disadvantages will be a thing of the past. Females have the mental capability to perform on an equal level with all respected and distinguished male mathematicians, but first social pressures and stereotypes must be eliminated.