Women, girls and information technology

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Women have been involved in computers since computers were first envisioned. They are present in all facets of computing and information technology. Despite this, their presence is comparatively small in these fields, and the fact of their overall underrepresentation has been established.

Contents

[edit] Why focus on women

A proposal from an economical standpoint suggests that in order to avert the computing and IT industry from dangers such as global sourcing, a solution is needed to increase the participation of underrepresented groups like women. [1]

It has also been claimed that there is a growing demand for IT workers with leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills in order to combat the general drop in worker retention and ineffective training. In particular, the cost of replacing a skilled technical employee has been estimated to be as high as 120% of the yearly salary of the position. Furthermore, over 50% of 900 IT leaders in the US who were surveyed cited retention of skilled professionals as a primary concern. [2] In addition, leaders with business and soft skills are sought after. Qualitative studies shows that many women in technology are interested in this combination of technical and non-technical work, hence they are potentially a good fit in these roles.[3]

On a similar note, it has been argued that the inclusion of women in computing will mitigate innovation-hindering effects such as groupthink by preventing the group from becoming too homogenized. Gender diversity has been suggested to give benefits such as better decision making, increased creativity, and enhanced, innovative performances. [4]

The book Gender and Computers : Understanding the Digital Divide[1] claims that the lack of participation of females in computing excludes them from the "new economy", which calls for sophisticated computer skills in exchange for high salary positions. [5] A consequence from such exclusion will likely result in further social and gender inequality.

[edit] Issues regarding women's involvement

[edit] Lack of interest

A study of over 7000 high school students in Vancouver, Canada showed that the degree of interest in the field of Computer Science for teenage girls is comparably lower than that of teenage boys. [6] The same effect is seen in higher educations; for instance, only 4% of female college freshmen expressed intention to major in Computer Science in the US. [7]

[edit] Retention

Further information: Declination of Women in Computer Science

It has been established that there are issues with retaining female students and laborers in Computer Science. As a result, there is a declination of female participation in both the education and the labor force fields.

[edit] In Education

Although 37.1% of US Computer Science degrees were awarded to women in 1984, the number is decreasing over time: from 1989-1990, 29.9% of Computer Science degrees were awarded to women and from 1997-1998, only 26.7% of the same degree's recipients were women[8]. Similar figures are given by alternative sources: Women’s share of bachelor degrees in the computer and information sciences increased steadily through the mid-1980s where women earned 37% of the 38,878 degrees conferred in 1984–85. The number of the same degrees awarded to women has been increasing since 1992–93, yet the percentage awarded to women was down to 22% in 2005.

It is worth noting, however, that the pattern for Master’s degrees is somewhat different : the number and percentage of degrees earned by women is slowly, but steadily increasing to a high of 5,432 or 34% in 2000–01 (NCES, 2002).

[edit] In the workforce

Women’s representation in computer and information sciences workforce hovers about 30%. From 1993 through 1999, NSF’s SESTAT reported the percentage of women working as computer / information scientists (including those who hold a bachelor’s degree or higher in an S&E field or have a bachelor’s degree or higher and are working in an S&E field) declined slightly from 33.1% to 29.6% percent while the absolute numbers increased from 170,500 to 185,000 (NSF, n.d.).

[edit] Possible Factors

[edit] Gender Disparity

[edit] Statistics

Although teenage girls are now using computers and the Internet at rates similar to their male peers, they are five times less likely to consider a technology-related career or plan on taking post-secondary technology classes [9]. The National Center for Women and Information Technology[10] reports that of the SAT takers who intend to major in computer and information sciences, the proportion of girls has steadily decreased relative to the proportion of boys, from 20 percent in 2001 to 12 percent in 2006. The total number of these students (boys and girls) has also been decreasing since 2001, when it peaked at 73,466.

According to a College Board report [11], among SAT takers in 2006, slightly more girls than boys reported to having "course work or experience" in computer literacy, word processing, internet activity, and creating spreadsheets/databases. More boys than girls (59% vs 41%) reported course work or experience with computer programming. Of the 146, 437 students (13%) who reported having no course work or experience, 61% were girls and 39% were boys.

Many more boys than girls take Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science exams. According to the College Board [12] in 2006, 2,594 girls and 12,068 boys took the AP Computer Science A exam, and 517 girls and 4,422 boys took the more advanced AP Computer Science AB exam. From 1996 to 2004, girls made up 16–17% of those taking the AP Computer Science A exam and around 10% of those taking AP Computer Science AB exam.

Nearly 1000 students in University of Akron were surveyed, and it was discovered that females holds a more negative attitude towards computer than males. [13] Another study assessed the computer-related attitude of over 300 students in University of Winnipeg and obtained similar results. [14]

This is thought to contribute to the gender disparity phenomenon in computing, in particular the females' early lack of interest in the field. [15]

[edit] Perspectives on computers

Men and women view computers very differently. Studies show that women view computer as a tool and with much more societal context than men do; they are much more concerned with effect of technology on other disciplines, and how it can be used to improve society. On the other hand, men have much narrower focus of interest; they do not require a "larger goal" in connection to their interest.[16] [17]

Moreover, the extreme social stereotype that computer scientists are "geeks" and "nerds" without social interaction is particularly detrimental to females. Females often dislike the idea that computers "become their life". [18]

From a two year research initiative conducted by AAUW, young girls in focus groups report that their "lack of interest" in having a career in computing has more to do with more with disenchantment than with anxiety or intellectual deficiency. They claim that young boys are treating computers as a toy, and expresses distaste in their behavior when using them.[19]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Ramsey, N. and McCorduck, P., "Where are the women in Information Technology?", p.6, 2005
  2. ^ Simard, C., "Barriers to the advancement of technical women", p.2, 2007
  3. ^ Simard, C., "Barriers to the advancement of technical women", p.3, 2007
  4. ^ Simard, C., "Barriers to the advancement of technical women", p.4, 2007
  5. ^ Cooper, J. and Weaver, K. (2003), Gender and Computers: Understanding the Digital Divide, p.6, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, ISBN 0805844279
  6. ^ Handcock, Mark S. et al: "Focus on Women in Computer Science", 2004
  7. ^ Cooper, J. and Weaver, K. (2003), Gender and Computers: Understanding the Digital Divide, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, ISBN 0805844279
  8. ^ Tracy Camp: "Women in Computer Science: Reversing the Trend", 2001
  9. ^ http://www.computerworld.com/careertopics/careers/recruiting/story/0,10801,55910,00.html Melymuka, 2001
  10. ^ NCWIT
  11. ^ http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/about/news_info/cbsenior/yr2006/national-report.pdf
  12. ^ AP Central - Exam Data 2006
  13. ^ Cooper, J. and Weaver, K. (2003), Gender and Computers: Understanding the Digital Divide, p.14, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, ISBN 0805844279
  14. ^ Cooper, J. and Weaver, K. (2003), Gender and Computers: Understanding the Digital Divide, p.14, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, ISBN 0805844279
  15. ^ Cooper, J. and Weaver, K. (2003), Gender and Computers: Understanding the Digital Divide, p.15, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, ISBN 0805844279
  16. ^ Handcock, Mark S. et al: "Focus on Women in Computer Science", 2004
  17. ^ Margolis, J. et al: "Caring about Connections: Gender in Computing", p.4, 1999
  18. ^ Handcock, Mark S. et al: "Focus on Women in Computer Science", 2004
  19. ^ AAUW Educational Foundation Commission on Technology, Gender, and Teacher Education: Tech Savvy: Educating Girls in the New Computer Age, p.8, 2000

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes

  • ^  Cooper, J. and Weaver, K. (2003), Gender and Computers: Understanding the Digital Divide, Philadelphia : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, ISBN 0805844279
  • College Board AP Central National Summary Reports. Retrieved on February 25, 2007.
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). (2004). Current Population Survey. Table 11: Employed persons by detailed occupation, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. Retrieved on September 10, 2004 from: http://www.bls.gov/cps/home.htm.
  • College Board Summary Reporting Service (College Board). College Bound Seniors: A Profile of SAT Program Test Takers. Covering the years from 1996-2006. New York: College Board. Retrieved on February 25, 2007.
  • Melymuka, Kathleen. (2001, January 8). If Girls Don’t Get IT, IT Won’t Get Girls. Computer World. Retrieved on October 7, 2004 from: http://www.computerworld.com/careertopics/careers/story/0,10801,55910,00.html.
  • National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). (2002). Table 282: Earned degrees in computer and information sciences conferred by degree-granting institutions, by level of degree and sex of student, 1970-71 through 2000-2001. Higher Education General Information Survey and Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.
  • National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources Statistics. (NSF). (2003) Women, Minorities and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering 2002. Arlington, VA: Author. (NSF 03-312).
  • National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources Statistics (NSF). (2004) Women, Minorities and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering 2004. Arlington, VA: Author (NSF 04-317).
  • National Science Foundation, Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System. (NSF). (n.d.) Retrieved on September 10, 2004 from: http://srsstats.sbe.nsf.gov/.
  • U.S. Census Bureau. (2000). American Factfinder: Table QT-P27. Occupation by Sex: 2000. Retrieved on September 10, 2004 from: http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/QTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=01000US&-qr_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U_QTP27&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U&-_lang=en&-_sse=on
  • Girls and Computers page from the School Computing Wiki.