Monday, November 18, 2013
Why My Field Is Dominated By Men
Different things attract the attention of a woman than that of a man. Significantly more guys like to play with computers than girls do. Isn't it logical then that more men study computer science than women? Apparently not. Society seems to have developed this idea that because men and women are equal there must be an equal number of men and women in each field. They believe that less women in the field can only happen if stereotypes drive women away from it. This logic would also dictate that less boys buy dolls than girls only because society says that's weird. Women are fully capable of studying whatever they want. They can, and do, choose what to study based on what interests them. This is the main reason less women study computer science.
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I don't think you should dismiss the role of stereotypes and social pressure so hastily. I've known women driven away from CS by the "brogrammer" environment, despite their interest in the subject.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nate. It's not so much stereotypes but more the hostile environment. No one wants to do something for a lifetime that they don't feel welcome in.
ReplyDeleteAre smart phones not computers? Women are on the computer all the time. Think of social networking. Think of Pinterest, Instagram. Everyone plays with computers man.
ReplyDeleteGender makes people inherently different. Boys and girls will view computer science differently, but that different viewpoint is what creates progress. Like the other comments have said, we need to work to remove stereotypes and show that computer science is open to more diversity.
ReplyDeleteIt's true that many women simply aren't interested in STEM fields, but there is a wealth of anecdotal evidence that this is helped by gender discimination.
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ReplyDeleteEven if the environment is a factor, people shouldn't be required to change their personality just to make people feel welcome in the field (not that such a thing is usually possible in the first place). Problems only arise if people are actively discriminating against other people.
ReplyDeleteFor organizations who really care about this issue, it's not about equal numbers.
ReplyDeleteIt's about helping those who would be a good fit find this field. It's about helping this field be even broader and more impactful to humanity, instead of confining it to a certain set of constraints that fit a certain kind of person. It's about helping people who are interested stay interested instead of driving them off through external factors.