J. Random Hacker’s Fault?

I do strongly believe that the lack of diversity is a problem in the technology industry. Although it may not be an issue that is causing immediate ramifications, I believe that subtle effects in the long-term are worth considering. For example, consider just how many facets of life in which technology is integrating itself. We need women and minorities to have a voice in the development of solutions for problems that society as a whole faces. Otherwise, their unique and invaluable perspective will not be as accurately factored into the discussion. “Computer scientists and engineers are going to be designing the future that everyone inhabits. We need women and minorities to enjoy an ambient sense of belonging in those professions if the future they create is going to be one in which all of us feel at home” (What Really Keeps Women Out of Tech).

Late last semester, I had the opportunity to speak on the panel after the showing of the documentary “Code: Debugging the Gender Gap” to discuss my reactions to the film. Although the documentary was focused primarily upon females as a minority in the tech industry, the ideas presented greatly hold true for other minorities as well. The most critical point I took away from the documentary was the fact that the perpetuation of the stereotypical Computer Scientist (think geek, socially awkward, mom’s basement, etc.) by the media and society only serves to deter women from believing they will “fit in” in that world. A perfect example of this was “A Portrait of J. Random Hacker.” Especially when it comes to the tech world, the LAST thing we need is a generalization reinforced – particularly one that outlines every stereotypical facet of J. Random Hacker’s life. That just moves us backwards in the addressing of the diversity problem.

The challenges faced by women and minorities in the tech industry are countless. The first is merely the factor of comfort in the environment, in feeling a sense of belonging. “Young men tend not to major in English for the same reasons women don’t pick computer science: They compare their notions of who they are to their stereotypes of English majors and decide they won’t fit in” (What Really Keeps Women Out of Tech). In a startup culture of white, male geniuses such as Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, it’s hard not to notice the trend. Other challenges include potential sexist and racist comments, being stereotyped, and – for women – a work-life balance in raising a family.

I believe that many of these challenges exist largely because of what media portrays of the tech industry. I also think that the notion of these stereotypes starts early with the expectation that boys are better at math than girls. Being a math person myself, I grew up having teachers often be surprised that I was actually quite good at math. This can be counteracted early in education. For example, in the reading “What Really Keeps Women out of Tech, “At a young age, girls already hold stereotypes of computer scientists as socially isolated young men whose genius is the result of genetics rather than hard work. Given that many girls are indoctrinated to believe that they should be feminine and modest about their abilities, as well as brought up to assume that girls are not innately gifted at science or math, it is not surprising that so few can see themselves as successful computer scientists.” Although I think in most cases the primary challenge lies in the approachability for minorities rather than adversity from the majority, I do believe this is a problem that needs to be addressed. To remove these barriers, I think media and educational institutions should be proactive in making math and computer science more approachable for women and minorities. There are strength in numbers and in a sense of belonging.