Computer Girls
Someone over at inclusive_geeks linked to an interesting article:
Researcher reveals how “Computer Geeks” replaced “Computer Girls”
Quotes in italics.
Rather, managers hired women because they expected programming to be a low-skill clerical function, akin to filing, typing, or telephone switching. Assuming that the real “brain work” in electronic computing would be limited to the hardware side, managers reserved these tasks for male engineers.
"Low skill clerical function?" ENIAC didn't store programs. It also did loops, branches and subroutines; if what I learned in CS 320 this past semester is anything to go by, loops were hard. They didn't just put the code they wanted to repeat in a couple brackets; they've had to set jump instructions.
Employers, says Ensmenger, were in for a surprise when they discovered a truth that we now take for granted: “Programming,” he says with a smile, “is hard.”
Heh heh heh. Of course, once they figured this out they were like "must hire mens! *flail* "
Male computer programmers sought to increase the prestige of their field, through creating professional associations, through erecting educational requirements for programming careers, and through discouraging the hiring of women.
Isn't that also what happened in the medical profession with midwives? Hmm, I'm sensing a trend...
Something that was really interesting was about how their tests for job applicants helped form our perceptions of programmers.
According to test developers, successful programmers had most of the same personality traits as other white-collar professionals. The important distinction, however, was that programmers displayed “disinterest in people” and that they disliked “activities involving close personal interaction.” It is these personality profiles, says Ensmenger, that originated our modern stereotype of the anti-social computer geek.
I'm still trying to figure out why they thought "not interested in people" dot-equals "good at programming."
Today, we continue to assume that the programmers are largely anti-social and that anti-socialness is a male trait. As long as these assumptions persist, says Ensmenger, the programming workforce will continue to be male-dominated. Although the stereotype of the anti-social programmer was created in the 1960s, it is now self-perpetuating.
True on all counts. Especially that last one. *sighs* People who fit the profile are more likely to enter the field, people who don't... don't. And currently the profile is anti-social and male.
In a way, this article is reassuring. I'll admit to the occasional worry that I just can't keep up in computer science and I'd be better off as a starving writer. (Yet, my concerns about writing are very similar, driving me to computers. It's a terrible cycle of uncertainty.) This helps squelch the occasional 'maybe girls aren't good at programming' paranoia.
At the same time, the fact that girls got pushed out in the first place isn't very encouraging. If I'm going to do this, I need to be much better than the average guy. Then again, I already knew that.
Researcher reveals how “Computer Geeks” replaced “Computer Girls”
Quotes in italics.
Rather, managers hired women because they expected programming to be a low-skill clerical function, akin to filing, typing, or telephone switching. Assuming that the real “brain work” in electronic computing would be limited to the hardware side, managers reserved these tasks for male engineers.
"Low skill clerical function?" ENIAC didn't store programs. It also did loops, branches and subroutines; if what I learned in CS 320 this past semester is anything to go by, loops were hard. They didn't just put the code they wanted to repeat in a couple brackets; they've had to set jump instructions.
Employers, says Ensmenger, were in for a surprise when they discovered a truth that we now take for granted: “Programming,” he says with a smile, “is hard.”
Heh heh heh. Of course, once they figured this out they were like "must hire mens! *flail* "
Male computer programmers sought to increase the prestige of their field, through creating professional associations, through erecting educational requirements for programming careers, and through discouraging the hiring of women.
Isn't that also what happened in the medical profession with midwives? Hmm, I'm sensing a trend...
Something that was really interesting was about how their tests for job applicants helped form our perceptions of programmers.
According to test developers, successful programmers had most of the same personality traits as other white-collar professionals. The important distinction, however, was that programmers displayed “disinterest in people” and that they disliked “activities involving close personal interaction.” It is these personality profiles, says Ensmenger, that originated our modern stereotype of the anti-social computer geek.
I'm still trying to figure out why they thought "not interested in people" dot-equals "good at programming."
Today, we continue to assume that the programmers are largely anti-social and that anti-socialness is a male trait. As long as these assumptions persist, says Ensmenger, the programming workforce will continue to be male-dominated. Although the stereotype of the anti-social programmer was created in the 1960s, it is now self-perpetuating.
True on all counts. Especially that last one. *sighs* People who fit the profile are more likely to enter the field, people who don't... don't. And currently the profile is anti-social and male.
In a way, this article is reassuring. I'll admit to the occasional worry that I just can't keep up in computer science and I'd be better off as a starving writer. (Yet, my concerns about writing are very similar, driving me to computers. It's a terrible cycle of uncertainty.) This helps squelch the occasional 'maybe girls aren't good at programming' paranoia.
At the same time, the fact that girls got pushed out in the first place isn't very encouraging. If I'm going to do this, I need to be much better than the average guy. Then again, I already knew that.