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Sara Comments on Women in Computer Science

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Watching the blogosphere of late you have most likely noticed the discussions surrounding women, or the lack there of, in computer science related jobs.  Its amazes me how many men are arguing about this and offering their insights.  I don't want to add to that, but I would like to call out Sara's recent post on the subject. 

Quotes from https://blogs.msdn.com/saraford/archive/2004/05/05/126296.aspx

Perhaps around the 3rd or 4th grade, someone in my family got me a book on video game programming for the TI-99 4A. This book probably had the most significant contribution to getting me interested in computer science. No one told me that I was being a geek for painfully typing in all of those lines of code. In fact, my older cousins would take turns with me typing in the code. (One video game took us over 9 hours to type in). Just thinking back on those days makes me look at Visual Studio in a much different light.

Image a storyline to a video game so intriguing that the producers got free advertisement for the game for 10 years through the name of a collie. There’s something to that.

Once I got into college, things were significantly easier for me to study computer science. I had an excellent advisor nicknamed Momma Donna. I got a lot of practice in what it means to lead without authority by serving two years as ACM chair for my college. And I worked as a research assistant on WebTOP. The “Laser” and “Reflection and Refraction” modules were mine. Also, it was interesting how about half of the Computer Science Faculty at my college were women. The chair of the CS department is a woman. I never really felt “alone.”

Yeah, tonight I’m blaming the decrease in women in computer science on movies and video games. I might come up with a new theory tomorrow night – remember the disclaimer at the beginning. But I’m also accrediting video games and movies (like Tron – v1.0) to my involvement in computer science. Depending how they are used (and which ones are used), movies and games can be very powerful tools in getting kids (both girls and boys) interested in computer science.

I agree completely with the last quote.  The only comment I would add is that I believe the stereo types created and perpetuated around CS jobs do nothing but hurt the percentages.  I don't work with people who lock themselves in a cubicle with no interaction with others. I work with people who play basketball, baseball, ultimate frisbee, run, play halo, etc.  Programming does not and should not be a job that revolves around solitary confinement without human interaction but it is never portrayed as such.  I believe that this stereotype is to blame, not just for the lack of women, but also the lack of diversity in the Field.  Humans are social creatures by nature and if you portray and activity that lacks a social connection then you limit the appeal of that activity and the stereo-type becomes self fulfilling because only a non-diverse candidate pool becomes interested.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    May 07, 2004
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    May 07, 2004
    I could be wrong, but I don't think that I or Sara are blaming men for the lack of women in Technology. And I also agree that people should work and move towards areas where they are most interested. Most people are interested in things they have developed talents for. I also am sure that men and woman may very well poses different talents that may render each more effective at one task or another. I'm not convinced that there are any talent deficiencies though, when it comes to the CS world.

    But, it would be nieve to believe that interests and talents are not partially derived from the culture that people are nurtured in at an early age. Stereotypes effect the direction some parents push their children and stereotypes may attract or push children away from activities based on peer pressure in the environment.

    Men are not explicitly to blame for the creation of the stereotypes. Woman have their hands in it as well.

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