Gender and Computing: Not the same old problem

Abstract

The decline in numbers of women on computing courses in higher education has been the subject of much comment. However, the debate has moved from a ‘women and computing’ approach to a more sophisticated theorisation of gender. We suggest that computing also requires better theorisation. Computing is most usefully characterised as a concrete not abstract science. Women's contribution to the field is often ignored because they are seen as end‐users, not part of the academic mainstream. We report a case study of men and women on applied information technology courses. Using data from in‐depth interviews, we found that both men and women were aware of gender in computing practice. However, both men and women expressed intrinsic as well as instrumental reasons for studying and the women were confident in their own abilities. Women brought with them valuable administrative experience of using computer systems. One of the challenges is to conceptualise women's computer skills as real computing and to ask what is wrong with computing rather than what is wrong with women.

Rethinking the ‘problem’ of gender and IT schooling: discourses in literature

“…Nevertheless, recent literature highlights persistent gender inequalities relating to computer access and use (Clegg & Trayhurn, 2000;Colley & Comber, 2003). These are accounted for as functions of socio-economic status and home situations.…”

“…This gives concern to theorists who challenge the essentialist gender discourse (Bryson & de Castell, 1995Clegg & Trayhurn, 2000;Trauth, 2002;Wajcman, 1991). Clegg (2001) argues, for example, that formal and creative methods of computing do not constitute intrinsically male or female approaches, but that the "simple dichotomy of hard/soft, male/female is an ideologically constructed fixing of ideal masculinity and femininity" (p.317).…”

“…This positions males and females in different relations of power and authority with computers and with each other. The critical literature suggests that males' knowledge and skills tend to be attributed greater value than females' knowledge and experience (Clegg & Trayhurn, 2000;Culley, 1993). Clegg and Trayhurn (2000) observe that computer gaming, which tends to be dominated by males, is associated with 'real' computing, while word processing, which tends to be dominated by females, is associated with a previous and dated technology, typing -yet both are end-use applications.…”

Gender and Technology in the Liberal Arts: Aptitudes, Attitudes, and Skills Acquisition

“…In Britain, Clegg and Trayhurn (2000) take a related approach in questioning the gender gap. They argue, instead of asking what is wrong with women's skills, the question should be what is wrong with how computing is being taught.…”

“…Male and female students have differing learning styles influenced by such experiential factors as biology, historical inequalities, inconsistent political rights, and problems of sociological constructions. Studies such as Clegg and Trayhurn's (2000) in the United Kingdom (UK), Crews and Butterfield's (2003) in the United States, the European Union's (EU) the Women in Technology North West's surveys (2004), and the World Bank's research (2005) demonstrate that the gender gap is a reality when it comes to technology training, in most institutions and countries, both developed and developing. The gender gap persists despite many efforts to curb the effects of institutional and social inequality.…”