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03/14/2003 Archived Entry: "How to get women into Technology (you're asking *me*?)"
We were having a discussion about this last night at the outing with Doc Searls... I was the only woman there - which is not at all unusual - especially when I go to events with more techie types. So this conversation came up - one I've had before. It's a bit hard to talk about, because I can only really talk about my experience, and try to generalize based on that and based on what I've seen happen to other women.
So I talked about having been catcalled by a lecture hall full of 250+ mechanical engineering students when I was on the "Women in Engineering" Tour at UofT Engineering. Yah guys, great way to attract high-school aged women into your profession! I talked about CompSci classes being incredibly competitive and cutthroat. How the classes are (at least in the lower years) not at all collaborative - collaboration being something that women usually like (generalizing again). I talked about how it's intimidating to be in a field dominated by men. And when you add it all up, what's the point of paying extra tuition (costs more in Ontario for a "professional" degree), putting up with all the crap, then putting up with sexist crap once you get into the profession etc. etc., when you can do something that's in a related field that may be just as interesting to you, costs less and where you don't have to put up with the same level of crap.
One of the other points that I've heard - which I forgot to say last night, but which I think is insightful - is that women tend to get into technology when they can see a clear use for it. When they can say, "hey, this web thing is cool, I can get my company to sell stuff to our customers online and buy stuff from our suppliers online and jack into their ordering system and save lots of time and hassle", or when they say, "I can communicate with my family halfway around the world via email without paying long-distance rates" then they get excited. But, if something is just a cool toy, or it's intellectually interesting but doesn't seem to have an application, women tend to dismiss it (generalizing again). Projects, ideas, techie stuff has to have a concrete application for women to get thrilled about it - women just aren't wowed by the cool factor.
Of course this *is* all generalizing, because there are some women in Computer Science and Engineering. But it's a hell of a lot less than 52%. And at least in the web world, the majority of programmers and techie types are men, whereas the majority of designers and non-techies are women, (at least in my experience).
I'm not sure that's going to change without a lot of effort, but there are simple steps we can take to bridge the divide.
Anyway, those are a few thoughts...
Replies: some comments - add a comment
I'm a social worker by training, but I've been a technical writer by necessity for more than 20 years now. I've never been "technical", but flatterers tell me that I often ask the insightful questions that lead technical people into new and fruitful areas.
And I have to say that I took a programming class once (BASIC), got straight A's, and was bored to tears. I greatly dislike linear thinking. I dislike only being able to say a thing one way. Where English is to me as flexible and deft a tool as a surgeon's scalpel, programming and systems design feel to me like I'm using a meat cleaver to dice mushrooms, with both hands in heavy mittens and my hair in my eyes.
So I do what I'm good at. I just wish more engineers respected good expository writing they way they respect clean, elegant code.
Posted by Lauren @ 03/15/2003 11:07 PM EST
I agree wholeheartedly. The thing is, this will wind up affecting marketing individuals and eventually some bright new technology company that knows how to appeal to the female will wind up selling gadgets that are actually useful - for example, instead of solar-powered flashlights, maybe candles that self-light if the power is off and it is night-time and a hand is waved over them - of course, maybe that isn't useful - I wouldn't know - I'm not a female (and I'm apparently a different Andrew that's posting a comment here - how odd - the root for the name Andrew is Greek in origin and means "male" - coincidence?).
Posted by Andrew @ 03/15/2003 09:34 PM EST
Your points speak more to management than anything related to the fields themselves. Engineering and design are often kept seperate as a function of management, not because designers or engineers don't see value in each others work.
I'm just wondering ... who defines it as a problem to be solved that there aren't so many women in the technology field? I'd say that the problem is with sexist crap, no matter where one finds it. Anything that artificial that keeps people from going where their talents and inclinations lie is something that ought to be eliminated. But if the net result after such crap-elimination is that women *do* follow the stereotypes and aren't as technically-inclined as men, should anyone take it upon themselves to shoehorn a woman into a field with which she's not comfortable?
Posted by Samuel P. McWhorter @ 03/15/2003 01:29 PM EST
Hi Tara, I arrived here by way of Doc Searls' post.
Um, dare I suggest that the reason men are wowed by the cool factor is because we can see potential beyond the immediately obvious? And then I run away really fast?
Only kidding. The points you make are just as relevant to those men who've grown up a little, prefer a more-collaborative approach, shudder at the testosterone-driven programmer mentality.
Posted by Andrew @ 03/15/2003 07:18 AM EST