Women And Computing Essay Research Paper Women

Women And Computing Essay, Research Paper

Women and Computing

Computer science has become one of the fastest growing careers in the past few years. With the advancement in technology and the high demand for those with a solid knowledge in computing, more and more people are choosing computer science as their field of interest. But in the past few years, people are drawing their attention to the fact that most computer scientists these days are men. It seems that women have been excluding themselves from the field of computer science for as long as we can remember. Although computer science is still one of the most popular majors in many universities, women only make up a small percentage of computer science graduates. Have women just been ignored or are they just trying to stay away from these technical careers. Many researchers have been trying to find the reasons as to why there are so few women getting a degree in computer science or are working in the computer industry.

The small number of women majoring in computer science can be directly tied to the difficulties that women face in becoming computer scientists. There are many cultural and societal factors that contribute to women’s experience in computing. The earliest computer software that children are exposed to reflect the gender biases and stereotypes of the software designers. For example, studies show that educational software is designed to appeal to boys [6]. Another study of computer science students finds that women students feel much less confident, comfortable and successful in the curriculum than men even though they all perform equally in the subject matter [4]. The main challenges facing women in pursuing careers in computer science are lack of mentoring and role models, difficulties in self-esteem, gender discrimination, and difficulty in balancing family and career responsibilities.

It is well known that women have been underrepresented in scientific fields for a long time. During 1987 and 1988, women only made up thirty percent of employed computer scientists and only ten percent had doctoral-level degrees in computer science [2]. There are several reasons as to why women are underrepresented in the many technical fields. It may be possible that the field of computer science functions in ways that discourage women from becoming a part of it [2]. Another reason for the underrepresentation of women in computer science relates to how women were not recognized for their contributions in science. For example, most contributions to the history of computing were all made by men. Women were rarely or almost never mentioned in the history of computing or any other scientific discoveries [7]. There are quite a few women who contributed to mathematical and scientific discoveries, but they never received the same recognition and attention as men did. As a result, many women were somehow being ignored and isolated even though they made significant contributions to the history of computing and science.

For years, women were thought of as not having the qualifications or knowledge that men have to pursue a career in technical fields. This problem can be associated with the stereotypes that our society has about women and what their roles should be. The media often portrays women either as teachers or housewives taking care of children, but never anything related to technical careers. Societal, familial, and educational factors are also involved. For instance, girls have either been denied or discouraged from pursuing careers in science, mathematics, and engineering. But this may be because many girls fear being thought of as “nerds” by the boys [6]. For this reason, many girls feel uncomfortable when working with computers. Moreover, the lack of experience with computers may also be a factor in indicating why the number of female computer science students has dropped significantly [7]. It seems that young women are avoiding computer science classes the same way their mothers and grandmothers avoided woodworking and automotive courses in the 1950’s and 1960’s [4]. Researchers have also noted that many girls were discouraged from taking math and computer classes in elementary school because of how females were portrayed in television as well as in real life [6].

For generations, studies have shown that girls from grade school to high school are losing interest in computing. The stereotype of computer professionals as hackers often makes women avoid careers in computing [2]. They fear that computer-related professions might require “all-night hacking sessions and obscene amounts of caffeine” [8]. On the other hand, many females seldom enroll in computer science or other technical subjects while in high school and in college [1]. For example, girls are starting to drop out of their math and science courses even though they are doing well in them [3]. The way educators treat boys and girls differently in the classroom can often lead them to lose interest in a particular subject. Some teachers say that they are treating both boys and girls the same way, but they don’t realize that they are actually treating them differently. According to research, these educators seem to make computerized learning extremely exciting for boys, whereas the girls felt anxious throughout the whole time they are in front of a computer [1]. Furthermore, parents and teachers play a role in underestimating