No Girls Allowed: Do Masculine Cues Affect Women’s Interest?

 With the recent Super Bowl, one of the most watched TV events in a given year, we thought looking at commercials from Super Bowls past might give us a sense of what popular media might be saying to women about their potential in technology fields. In a commercial launched for the 2012 Super Bowl, Best Buy showcased 10 male innovators of well-known mobile device products. They introduced themselves as the creators of their respective inventions: Shazam, the in-phone camera, Instagram, and more. In the end, a woman introduces Best Buy as the place where all these inventions can be found.

Though the commercial succeeds in communicating the exciting breadth of developments coming forth from the mobile technology industry, could the commercial also be sending a more harmful message? Specifically, does the distinct absence of female innovators signal to women that they do not belong or would not excel in the technology field? The featured men are depicted as prominent innovators in the field, whereas in the video, the only women shown are in positions of service (i.e., flight attendant and sales person).

Research conducted in the Stereotypes, Identity, and Belonging Lab has demonstrated that when people are assessing whether they would fit in a given context, they look to cues in the environment to gauge their sense of belonging. This commercial may act as an environmental cue, sending a message about the environment that women may encounter in the technology world—an environment in which only males are capable of innovation. These cues could perpetuate the underrepresentation of women in computer science by leading women to question their belonging in the field.

Women’s underrepresentation in leadership positions in technology and science has not gone unnoticed; many groups are working on projects to provide women with more information about the prevalence of women in science. In October of 2012 the Royal Society held an edit-a-thon of Wikipedia pages in order to increase awareness of women’s contributions to science throughout history (the story was covered by BBC News). Also, the Victorian ICT for Women Network asked successful women who work in technology fields to send photos with their name and position to be showcased at an event called GoGirl, Go for IT this past June. The event was meant to help recruit female high school students into IT majors. By emphasizing women’s role and representation in science and technology, these groups are providing counter-stereotypical information to women about their representation in science.

So what do you think? Might the Best Buy commercial influence women’s sense of belonging in technology?  Do you think programs like the edit-a-thon and Go Girl Go for IT will encourage women to join the sciences? Or do you think it might remind women that they are underrepresented and deter them even more?

Posted by: Amanda

Follow the Lead: Harvey Mudd

Maria Klawe is setting a high bar for universities around the nation. Once Dean of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Princeton University, Klawe became President of Harvey Mudd College in 2006 and has since made her mark on the Computer Science Department.

Harvey Mudd’s percentage of female computer science graduates once hovered in the single digits. Now, it is over 40%. This considerable transformation is a direct result of Klawe’s leadership and insistence on making CS a more approachable and relevant field for women. Klawe and the computer science faculty split the required ‘introductory’ course (which was described as “hard-core programming”) into two levels more tailored to specific programming experience. By creating separate classes where students can work alongside others that have similar experience, Klawe is combating the stereotype that programming is an innate skill.

Bill Gates and Maria Klawe at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Wash., in 2005.
Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

Klawe also ensured that every freshman female CS student could attend to the annual Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, a series of conferences that showcase women’s accomplishments in computing. By doing so she provides an opportunity for the female students to meet other female programmers, combating the stereotype that programming is an almost exclusively masculine profession. 

Klawe’s enormous success in a relatively short period of time suggests that the dearth of women in CS is not due to differences in intellectual capacity, but rather, how CS classes are portrayed and taught. This is consistent with our research suggesting that it is negative perceptions of CS that deter women and not the content of the field itself. For example, our research has shown that simply changing the classroom environment from stereotypical to neutral can boost female undergraduates’ interest in CS to that of their male peers. The strategies employed by Klawe—dividing classes into levels based on difficulty and required experience, providing programming work with context and meaning, and applying the lessons to a larger picture—help create a less stereotypical experience and result in CS being more attractive option for women. 

What do you think? Have you heard of other universities re-evaluating their computer science programs? Are the changes better for the field?

Want to see more? Check out an interview of Klawe on PBS.

Posted By: Patty

Male Role Models Inspiring Women in Computer Science!

Renowned for its leadership in academics, Harvard University is once again boasting impressive statistics. In their April 20^th, 2011 edition, the university’s newspaper, The Harvard Crimson, reported that a record number of female students are choosing to major in computer science, with numbers reaching as high as 41% female. Harvard students seem to have overcome the stereotype that women “just aren’t cut out for the major.” And what could be contributing to these changes? We suggest:

Classes that break stereotypes of who belongs in computer science.

The university’s amazing progress is due in part to Computer Science Lecturer, David J. Malan. Malan teaches CS50, the notoriously difficult introductory computer science course. The Harvard Crimson writes that the marked increase in females choosing to major in Computer Science has correlated strongly with increased enrollment in this introductory course. Students in the class report that the course teaches them computer science in an accessible, fun, and entertaining way.

Malan’s success at encouraging both female students supports research findings in our lab.  Although many believe that role models must be of the same gender as those they wish to inspire, a recent article out of our lab shows that male and female role models can have an equal influence on inspiring women to consider majoring in computer science. Dismissing Malan and other men as effective role models to women because of their gender could have proven to be a grave  mistake.  

What in particular makes Malan such a good role model? One factor that our research suggests is important is that Malan does not fit the stereotype of a computer science ‘nerd.’ This professor worked part-time as a forensic investigator throughout graduate school while volunteering as an EMT, a passion he still pursues today.

When considering how to best overcome stereotypes that discourage women from entering computer science, it is important to remember that commonly held assumptions, such as who makes the best role model, can get in the way of progress. Relying less on these assumptions and more on evidence provided in the classroom and in the lab (i.e. focusing more on the stereotypicality of role models) could lead to a nation-wide increase in the number of female computer science majors.

Interested in seeing Malan’s teaching style? Check out a video of CS50 through OpenCourseware at:

http://cs50.tv/2010/fall/

What do you think? Do you know of other male role models? Are there times in which a female role model might be better for recruiting women?

Posted by: Caitlin 

Embrace Your Inner Geek: A New Way to Get Women Engaged in Computer Science

It is not often that you hear a woman proudly describe herself as a geek, but that is exactly what Marissa Mayer did on a recent NPR broadcast. Mayer defies and embraces computer science stereotypes, managing to be both girly and geeky at once. Not only has she had a successful career as a computer scientist, but she has also become somewhat of a fashion icon, profiled in both Vogue and Glamour. As a result of her success and counter-stereotypicality, some have posited Mayer as a potential role model for young women pursuing computer science. 

Indeed, Marissa Mayer has expressed her desire to see more women in her field. Following our research in the Stereotypes, Identity and Belonging Lab (SIBL), we believe that stereotypes are a huge deterrent to women for entering computer science. As a result, many of our interventions center on debunking these stereotypes (see our Debunking Stereotypes brochure). Mayer, however, takes a different approach; instead of demonstrating to girls that you don’t have to be a geek to be a computer scientist, Mayer wants to broaden the geek image to include women. In order to accomplish this, she is redefining what it means to be a geek.

For Mayer, being a geek means that you are passionate about what you are doing. So how exactly is telling girls it’s OK to be a geek going to draw more of them into computer science? Well, Mayer believes that with the increasing ubiquity of the internet and technology, girls are able to imagine more diverse applications for computer science than ever before, applications, which just might peak their interest enough to get them to take a class in C++ or Javascript. Girls can then embrace their "inner geek" knowing that they are using computer science to pursue something they are passionate about. While Mayer’s proposed redefinition of the geek stereotype provides an alternative way to get women involved in computer science, some important questions remain:

Do we need more role models like Mayer to change the way we think about geeks? Does Mayer's femininity make it more acceptable for her to be geeky? Will girls feel the need to assert their femininity to feel comfortable wearing the geek label? Is changing the geek image simply turning a negative stereotype into a positive stereotype? Why keep the geek label at all, couldn’t we just expose women to the increasingly diverse applications of computer science to get more women interested in the field?

Finally, what do you believe is the best way to increase women’s participation in computer science?

Posted by: Sarah

The Social Network: Defying Computer Science Stereotypes?

Recently, I saw the much talked about movie “The Social Network”. Like many Facebook users, I was curious about the creation of Facebook and the drama surrounding it. The movie depicts computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg’s rapid transformation from an anti-social geek to the wealthy founder of the largest social networking site in the world.

While the movie as a whole is compelling, I think it is especially interesting how Mark Zuckerberg’s character simultaneously reinforces and defies stereotypes about computer programmers.

On the one hand, he is portrayed as a socially awkward loner who vents his frustration via computer coding and blogging. He isn't invited to the popular clubs. He is very tech-savvy and intelligent, confidently projecting his ideas and opinions with rapid speaking. 

On the other hand, Mark Zuckerberg’s character also defies what it means to be a computer programmer. After creating Facebook, his popularity suddenly skyrockets. Women practically throw themselves at him, members of elite clubs want to be his business partners, and he gains a sort of bad boy reputation through his trouble making at Harvard and lawsuits with rivals. Ultimately, we get to see how many layers there really are to Mark Zuckerberg. 

Do you find Mark Zuckerberg a good computer science role model? Does his character defy the stereotypes?


Posted by: Lauren

Young Girls and Computer Science

Dot Diva, an exciting new national initiative aimed at high school girls, is on a mission to create a positive new image for computer science.  The initiative is striving to change perceptions of the field, emphasizing the positive impact that can be made on the world through computer science.  One look at the website, www.dotdiva.org, and it is clear that Dot Diva is working hard to create a fresh image for computer science. 

A national survey conducted by Dot Diva revealed high school girls perceptions of computing;  “as ‘boring’ and ‘hard,’ but they believe it fails to deliver two crucial benefits: ‘working with others’ and ‘making a difference in other people's lives’." This perception of computer science is what has inspired this initiative to work on changing this image.  “Our ultimate goal is to transform this negative perception.”   Dot Diva is working toward this goal by stressing the diversity of opportunities in computer science, the power to make a difference in the world, and the high salary and demand in the field. 

As Dot Diva’s mission statement says, “We’re young women with the power and passion to make a difference.  We believe in the potential of computing to build a better world.”  By reaching out to young women across the country the initiative is spreading its passion for computer science.  Check out Dot Diva’s website to see for yourself how they are putting their passion to work, how to join the Dot Diva community, and be sure not to miss the webisode featuring two young talented female computer scientists.  Let us know what you think about this exiting new initiative!

Posted by: Ben

Shortage of Black Computer Scientists?

Professors M. Brian Blake and Juan E. Gilbert wrote an article on the diversity in the realm of academics for the Chronicle of Higher Education, a newspaper whose target audience is college and university faculty and administers. Blake and Gilbert discuss and present the idea of Black Computer Science majors as gradually becoming extinct.  African-Americans represent roughly 13 percent of the our nation's populations, though only about 6 percent of all faculty members at American universities and colleges are American American. According to the Computing Research Association's widely used ‘Taulbee Survey Report’,


“ In the field of computer science, they make up only 1.3 percent of the faculty."

The numbers are not only small, they are decreasing as well, according statistic reports. 

“...1.6 percent of such degrees went to blacks in 2008-9, while federal data show that 3.7 percent, [of] doctorate recipients in computer and information sciences in 2008, were black U.S. citizens...”

Blake and Gilbert’s speculations are in agreement with SIBL’s interest in lack of women in Computer Science, as they question why African Americans lack prevalence in the Computer Science major when technological advances in our country (as well as the world) have heavily influenced and have prominently made its way into our everyday lives.  They wonder if the lack of positive exposure to the major, as well as a lack of Black successful role models, has deterred African Americans from gaining interest in the field. Their discussion involves various intervention ideas that could help promote more Computer Science appeal to African Americans through programs and close mentoring.  

Despite the statistics, it seems the small numbers have yet to illustrate the overall conflict of American-American shortage in universities and colleges. Have these two professors overlooked a major problem regarding underrepresented minorities in academia in general (i.e. shortage of African American representatives in majors across the board?) Or is lack of exposure to the field really the cause of shortage of Black Computer Science representatives in academia?

Posted by: Sarah T.