Last week, at lunch with two Microsoftie-friends, we got into a discussion about why there aren't many women in Computer Science. I've heard so many theories, but all we really know is that there are so many factors and some of them date back to childhood.
"So how'd you do it?" Jim asked, as though there was some huge obstacle I had to overcome, what with my being a woman and all. "Well, much the same way as you", I replied.
I applied to Engineering school. I was accepted. I did my homework. I took exams. I interviewed for internships. I got offers for some, I got rejected from others. Jim and I - we did the same thing. Was it harder for me to correctly prove that p is prime in discrete math? Do I deserve special recognition because I was able to do that proof despite my having an X chromosome where Jim has a Y?
My mother studied Electrical Engineering and no doubt, she had actual obstacles: people who would actually say "Kathy, I'm not sure Engineering is really for you. Perhaps you'd want to consider something more suitable for you, like fine arts?" Although you'd never hear her say it, women probably did have to fight professors to get into class, or to find an employer who would consider hiring a woman. But look at where we are thirty years later - no one's ever told me "go away - you're a woman."
Instead, we have so much special recognition that it's as though there are two types of programmers: regular programmers and then female programmers. Does it really help encourage this latter type if we give them a special attribute?
I'm not saying there aren't subtle ways which make women less likely to pursue Computer Science. A quick comparison of the United States to other countries tells you that that must be the case. But, by and large, society does not actively push women out of technology - women just aren't getting drawn into it as much.
Is that a problem? Yes, it is. Let's try to fix that.
Was it harder for me to get here because I'm female? No.
So that's all I'm saying - while various cultural issues make women less likely to pursue Computer Science, it's no harder for women to do it. So why label women programmers as "special" if they're doing the same thing as the "regular" programmers?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
5 comments:
Do you think there is any avoidance of the field by women solely because it tends to be male dominated (in terms of numbers - not intelligence)? Are women not entering (or sticking with) technology careers because they might have to face that sexism/glass ceiling/good old boy environment? Or does the atmonsphere at more open minded companies/areas make that a non-issue?
For example - my sister works for an utilities company where the employees are predominantly older males. She is well qualified for the position (they hired her) and can easily handle the work but sometimes the hardest part is handling the attitudes.
We don't think you are extra "special" based on technical merit (as you pointed out - you did the same things as the rest of us). The special comes from your willingness to deal with potentially bad attitudes that women are more likely to encounter than men.
"Do you think there is any avoidance of the field by women solely because it tends to be male dominated?"
I should start with a disclaimer here that I've worked for Microsoft, Apple and Google. All major companies, but also very liberal, young and socially aware. Had I worked for a utility company, my attitude might have changed.)
So to answer your question: yes and no. I don't think many women look at CS and say "there are too many men - they'll never hire me, promote me, etc." I do think a woman might look at CS and think "I wouldn't really like it" because she doesn't see people "like her" in the field. She may have no idea that it's gender ratio that's making her feel that way.
I'm not saying I haven't seen sexism - I definitely have. There is one situation where I'm about 95% certain that I was discriminated against. But that was just once. Most of the sexism that I see on a day-to-day basis is meeting someone randomly and the surprise / confusion in their reaction when I say that I'm a Software Engineer.
That surprised look probably means that the slate isn't totally wiped clean once I say my profession. Much like they wouldn't expect me to be a programmer, they probably would also take a little more convincing to believe that I should hired, promoted, etc.
So sexism is there - I admit that. But it's mostly subtle and unconscious. It's not really that bad - not bad enough to explain why there aren't more women in CS.
The attitude of women being special suggests that women have overcome some extreme hardships to get this far, and that's just not really the case. There are far more hardships and obstacles if you, say, don't have the money to afford college.
There are bigger obstacles in life than being female. In fact, if you feel that being a woman is really going to limit your options, the biggest obstacle to your success is probably yourself.
To me the male dominance isn't an issue either. I enjoy what I do and I never had an issue getting along with the guys my age. I worked for one company on internship that was predominantly older males, all very close to retirement age and it was a little weird but never uncomfortable. I reminded them of this daughter or that grandchild and since I was a girl they didn't always act normal around me. But it was never anything anyone intentionally did.
When I've worked with 30 somethings or under it's never been a real issue (getting hit on is the only problem so far), that boys club is slowly opening up with the younger group. I find very few guys around my age that think I'm in the wrong field (they are out there though sadly). We'll just have to see in the next 5-10 when the current workforce is retiring how the workplace atmosphere is.
The only problem I've had is with the old stuck in the mud male engineers who don't want a 19 yo (at the time) female touching their computer. So I sent down one of the guys to get it for me, I fixed and took it back to them and let them know what I did. I've been lucky enough to always have managers and supervisors who were 100% behind me.
I just graduated in Computer Engineering and am trying to find a job. It is strange. It isn't as large an issue as I'm sure it was 30 yrs ago but there still is that "special" treatment. To me it seems wrong to get a job because I fit the quota they are trying to fill to become more diverse. My friends tell me to just take the easy in and then prove how much they needed me but it still rubs me the wrong way and I'm still unemployed.
eeks... sorry for the long comment!
What is interesting to me is that as a woman in technology I have had to unlearn a lot of things.
Girls are oftentimes taught to be dependant, quiet, seek outside approval, and be nice at all cost. These are awful traits to have as a software engineer. For example I have become a great deal more assertive. I take control of my work. You cannot wait for things to just happen, you have to make them happen. Unfortunately many girls have parents and people do things for them which teaches dependance. Boys are expected to be more self-reliant. Being in technology has taught me to become that way. I used to be extremelly sensitive to people around me. Now I just don't care. Girls are trained to be social and attentive to their environment. We simply notice everything and sometimes it is better not to. You just can't take a lot of things to heart and oftentimes they don't mean anything. Men can scream insults to each other and then be fine the next moment thinking of it as a game. Women are not like this. It is a different modus operandi and I'm sure that younger girls see this, don't like it, misunderstand, get hurt and leave before entering the field. It's a funny miscommunication but you have to be aware of it if you're the only girl on the team as oftentimes happens.
We have great opportunities and we should use them. I think Gayle is trying to say that we cannot play victim but take control and do well. The real solution is simply to have more women who are successful until it is no longer unusual for a woman to be a software engineer. This is really the best way to combat the problem into nonexistance. Of course discrimination, subtle or overt is never right and should be punished. A good manager will shield you from potential sexism and if you don't believe they will you should not be working for them anyways.
Gayle, as is typical of the privileged you assume that because things worked out so easy and well for you they work out so easy and well for everyone else. I also interned at MS and had to deal with a surprising amount of sexism and racism from my boss. It was never anything specific but implications and attitudes in meetings which drove the point home - "you do not fit in here". Granted, I think my specific manager for the summer was a lot worse than many of the people I encountered at MS but unfortunately, I interacted with others with similar problems but who unlike me were willing to return to MS for the resume booster and money they were being offered.
The truth is that "special treatment" in my experience only gets you so far. You may get an entry level position but after that promotions will depend on performance and of course how well you integrate into the company culture which from what I've seen generally means how well do you fit into the "old boys club". Take almost any major tech company even those that claim to care about diversity etc. and the story will be repeated. At the lower ranks of the company there will be diversity. The top ranks of the company will be men generally with one or two token minorities (black, asian, women) who had to work 100% harder than any other white male to get to exactly the same position. I'd love to be proven wrong but believe me it takes a lot more than 30 years to change the mindset of a nation.
Post a Comment