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?
