Women’s studies 545 February 26, 2007

1. Women’s studies 545 February 26, 2007 “”The Anatomy of Interest: Women in Undergraduate Computer Science” by Margolis, Fisher, and Miller “The Computer Race Goes to Class” by Jonathan Sterne Angie Witte

2. Androcentric norms are cultural and societal norms based on males and the experiences of men and are crucial factors to be considered when investigating the economic and educational opportunities for women. Institutional sexism is discrimination against women within our societies institutions such as education and the workplace. “Caring About Connections: Gender and Computing” and “The Computer Goes to Class” are two articles that explore these two phenomena.

3. In 2000 Margolis, Fisher, and Miller conducted a study of women entering computer science programs at the noted Carnegie Mellon University, which is ranked among the top in the nation • They were intent on uncovering the reasons why young women enter these programs with such enthusiasm and enjoyment and then drop out of the program at alarming rates.

4. Computers with a people oriented purpose to solve real-world problems Computers as a source of employment…not just for fun Computers are not the only thing these women are interested in Use the Computer to connect to other fields The computer is not seen as a toy but as a utility to “help out”

6. Gender and Initial Interest • Upon entering the Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science women describe feelings of pride and excitement • These women were strong in their math and science skills • They took pleasure in programming • They enjoy problem solving, puzzles, and logical-thinking tasks and describe it as a sense of accomplishment or a “rush” Male Attachment to Computing (Unlike females) • Males in this study describe a “love” for the computer • Males start at an early age • Computing is part of their identity and they are attracted to the computer • Males want to figure out how the computer works

7. LIVING AMONG “PROGRAMMING GOD’S” • Students expressed that being admitted into one of the country’s top 3 programming schools was quite an achievement THE NORM OF KNOWLEDGE • Psychological, pedagogical, and socialization-related factors • Women’s confidence was eroded after arrival • Women perceived themselves as “slower” than their male counter parts • Women are shown to underestimate their abilities • Often males have more experience • Males may inflate how much they know or be overly confident • Males attribute their successes and failures in a self-affirming way…unlike women

8. THE NORM OF INTEREST • The status hierarchy • Wizards • Wheels • Hackers • Users • Losers • Being “in sync” with the culture promotes intense focus and love of the computer • For females, the above are not as crucial • Women do not share the same type of interest • They do not eat, sleep, dream, and live computers all day long • This creates a feeling of inadequacy “I dream in code”

9. BOY WONDER ICON • THE ASSOCIATION OF MALE TRAITS WITH SUCCESS IN SCIENCE • THE COMPUTING CULTURE REFLECTS A HISTORY AND LEGACY OF ACTUAL “BOY WONDERS” • MALE CHARACTERISTIC OF TOTAL ABSORPTION BY COMPUTERS • EXPECTATIONS BASED ON MALE BEHAVIORS AND PROJECTED ONTO WOMEN AS A MEASUREMENT OF THEIR INTEREST OR ABILITY • COUNTER-POINT • STAYING UP ALL NIGHT DOING SOMETHING IS A SIGN OF SINGLE MINDEDNESS, IMMATURITY, AND TYPICAL OF YOUNG, MALE BEHAVIOR

10. The nonhacker male • MANY MALES DESCRIBE THEMSELVES AS BEING DIFFERENT THAN THE “HACKER” STEREOTYPE • THOUGH THEY RESIST TOTAL ABSORPTION IN COMPUTING THESE MALES DO NOT QUESTION THEIR ABILITY • THEY SELDOM FEEL THE NEED TO CONFORM OR CHANGE TO MATCH THE NORM • DO NOT FEEL DISCONNECTED FORM THE OTHER MALES • MALES WITH LESS EXPERIENCE DO NOT FEEL ANGUISH OVER WHETHER OR NOT THEY “HAVE WHAT IT TAKES”

11. WHY IS THIS??? • COMPUTER SCIENCE ASSUMES THAT MEN WILL SUCCEED • SUCCESS IS LINKED TO STEREOTYPE BASED ON COMMON MALE PETTERN OF DESIRE FOR, INTEREST IN, AND ATTACHMENT TO COMPUTING • THIS SAME CULTURE DOES NOT ASSUME THAT WOMEN WILL CONFORM…NO DEFAULT EXPECTATION OF SUCCESS • GENDER SOCIALIZATION FACTORS • CHIPS AWAY AT WOMEN’S SENSE OF CONFIDENCE AND BELONGING IN THE FIELD

12. NEXUS OF CONFIDENCE AND INTEREST Gender socialization Cultural artifacts of the field Individual psychology What about intrinsic interest? Construct and/or undermine women’s sense of their own intrinsic interest

13. BIASED SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT • COMMENTS FROM MALE PEERS • “YOU ARE ONLY HERE BECAUSE YOU ARE A WOMAN” • SYMPTOMATIC OF A MORE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM • LOWER EXPECTATIONS FOR FEMALES • THE NEGATIVE STEREOTYPE ABOUT ONE’S GROUP FORCES THE INDIVIDUAL TO FEEL RESPONSIBLE…AND THEREFORE DOES NOT WANT TO CONFIRM THE STEREOTYPE

14. SOLUTIONS: • KEY AREAS FOR INTERVENTION • CULTURE • CURRICULUM • CONFIDENCE • WOMEN MUST NOT BE EXPECTED TO MODEL THEMSELVES AFTER THE STEREOTYPICAL MALE COMPUTER SCIENCE STUDENT • DEPARTMENTS NEED TO ESTABLISH THE IDEA THAT THERE ARE MULTIPLE VALID WAYS TO “BE IN” AND BE INTERESTED IN COMPUTER SCIENCE • STRESS TO STUDENTS THAT ACHIEVEMENTS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE IS MORE MULTIDIMENSIONAL THAN THE STANDARD “BOY HACKER” • EMPHASIZE THAT PRIOR EXPERIENCE IS NOT A CRITICAL ISSUE

15. “The computer race goes to class” Jonathan Sterne

16. Is the internet raceless?? • How did race get written out of computing? • How did whiteness become the default setting for online culture? • If white people I the United States had a distinct advantage over people of color in learning computing and gaining access to computers, then that would go along way toward explaining why the Internet remains predominantly and presumptively white.

17. Computer literacy…A CRITIQUE OF LANGUAGE • The ability to control machines • The language of literacy can easily degenerate into the project of creating consumer populations for communication technologies • Being able to make use of programs • Means little in the way of programming skills • Focus on schools as the agents of this new literacy • Unequal access would have significant impact on children’s access to computers and computer experience • Race based inequalities exacerbated in the 1980’s

18. SO, WHAT ABOUT RACE? • RACE IS NOT SIMPLY A PLACEHOLDER FOR CLASS • THE RACE GAP ON THE INTERNET WOULD BE NARROWER IF NONWHITE CHILDREN HAD THE SAME ACCESS TO COMPUTERS IN SCHOOLS THAT THEIR WHITE COUNTERPARTS DID • ATTITUDE TOWARDS DIFFERNTIAL ACCESS: IT WAS SOMEBODY ELSE’S PROBLEM

19. BUSINESS REPORTING • SCHOOLS AS THE NEXT BIG MARKET FOR COMPUTERS • DIFFERENTIAL ACCESS WAS HARDLY A CONCERN • RACE AND CLASS WERE COLLAPSED AS A SINGLE KIND OF DIFFERENCE • DURING THE SAME PERIOD, EDUCATION SCHOLARS WERE FLOODED WITH BOOKS ON HOW TO INTEGRATE COMPUTERS INTO SCHOOLS • THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE DISCUSSION OF LIMITED RESOURCES

20. THE TECHNOLOGY ACT OF 1982 PROPOSED • CORPORATIONS DONATED COMPUTERS • TAX BREAK FOR DONATIONS • HR 5573/TECHNOLOGY ACTOF 1982 • WOULD HAVE TEMPORARILY LOOSENED CORPORATE TAX REGULATIONS • ALLOWED AN UNUSUALLY HIGH LEVEL OF COMPUTER DONATIONS TO SCHOOLS • HEARINGS ADDRESS QUESTIONS OF DIFFERENTIAL ACCESS AND RACE • AN INTERNAL THREAT • ASIANS • JAPANES • OPPOSITION • DEPT OF TREASURY A COMPUTER TO EVERY SCHOOL

21. HR 5573 NEVER MADE IT INTO LAW • COMPUTER COMPANIES INCREASINGLY BEGAN TO TARGET NONWHITE AND POOR POPULATIONS • APPLE’S PHILANTHROPIC GOALS WERE COMPLEMENTARY TO THEIR COMMERCIAL GOALS • APPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATIONAL-AFFAIRS GRANTS WERE DECIDED ON THE UNIQUENESS OF THE APPLICATION • POTENTIAL FOR WIDESPREAD USE OR INTEREST • ADEQUACY OF PROCEDURES SPEICIFIED TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT DEGREE OF POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO EDUCATION OR TRAINING • CAPABLILITY OF ACHIEVING EXPECTED RESULTS • REALITY OF TIME ESTIMATES • EVIDENCE OF COOPERATION/COORDINATION • POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE OF THE PROJECT • “OBJECTIVE” STANDARDS CAN HIDE RACE BIASES

22. IN CONCLUSION • “IF ‘THE MARKET’-THAT MYTHIC, SUPPOSEDLY • GODLIKE DRINVING FORCE OF CAPITALISM-EVEN APPEARS TO BE OFFERING ALLEVIATION TO RACIAL INJUSTICE IN THE UNITED STATES, A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE SHOULD CLARIFY OUR VISION: FREE MARKET CAPITALISM EXTENDS RAICAL INJUSTICE; IT DOESN’T ALLEVIATE IT.”