How does biology explain the low numbers of women in computer science? Hint: it doesn't.
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This is reposted from SlideShare.
This post proves the idea that women are not as good as math, and therefore computer science, is false. Ideas like these have been supported in the past by biology and other sciences, and even though many of the studies have been exposed as biased or sexist, there findings can still perpetuate today in to explain the differences in the percentages and participation of women in certain male dominated fields.
These constructions of girls and women were detailed in Nancy Lesko's article Past, Present and future concept of Adolescence, showing the shifts in discourse and accepted beliefs in relation to time period and scientific field of study. She traced the paths to a more accurate and inclusive discourse of 'girlhoods' and this presentation supports Lesko's stance on the drawbacks of discourse based on biology while refuting wrongly applied data to explain stereotypes supported by science.
My critique of this slide presentation is that it does not offer a feminist critique, nor does it attempt to explain why the numbers show there are less girls represented in the computer sciences field.
However, this slideshow does reveal a disconect between the reality of girls’ skills and potential to engage in technology and the socially constructed portrayal of girls’ potential.
“For, example, anthropologists Yanigasako and Collier (1990) argue that inquireies into childbearing and child rearing as socially constructed in particular historical situations are fundamentally undermined by the assumed natural biological division between women who bear children and men who do not. Yanigasako and Collier discuss how an acceptance of the nature/cultural division in anthropological theory and research is concomitant with an acceptance of biology as universal, outside of cultural influences, and with inevitable social consequences for gendered divisions of labour. They argue that in not examining how biological sex differences are socially constructed, feminist theory ultimately is undermined by these biological differences” (Lesko, 1996, p p. 143).
Therefore, we, girl power 3.0 will refuse to let our feminist theory be undermined but not drawing attention to how socially constructions based on biology has limited girls involovment in technology, specifically computer sciences!! Girls, statistically are just as capable of the level of math required for computer sciences as boys. They have the skills, so innate biological factors to not get in their way. However, what does limit girls’ involvement in computer sciences is how computing jobs have been culturally portrayed as a boy’s club. When girls think of computer sciences employees most envision a nerdy White or Asian male typing away at computer desk, when this does not have to be the case. We, girl 3.0 aim to debunk this myth and attack these social constructions to help other girls, and even ourselves as girls feel more comfortable about engaging with computers in the professional realm.
However, this slideshow does reveal a disconect between the reality of girls’ skills and potential to engage in technology and the socially constructed portrayal of girls’ potential.
“For, example, anthropologists Yanigasako and Collier (1990) argue that inquireies into childbearing and child rearing as socially constructed in particular historical situations are fundamentally undermined by the assumed natural biological division between women who bear children and men who do not. Yanigasako and Collier discuss how an acceptance of the nature/cultural division in anthropological theory and research is concomitant with an acceptance of biology as universal, outside of cultural influences, and with inevitable social consequences for gendered divisions of labour. They argue that in not examining how biological sex differences are socially constructed, feminist theory ultimately is undermined by these biological differences” (Lesko, 1996, p p. 143).
Therefore, we, girl power 3.0 will refuse to let our feminist theory be undermined but not drawing attention to how socially constructions based on biology has limited girls involovment in technology, specifically computer sciences!! Girls, statistically are just as capable of the level of math required for computer sciences as boys. They have the skills, so innate biological factors to not get in their way. However, what does limit girls’ involvement in computer sciences is how computing jobs have been culturally portrayed as a boy’s club. When girls think of computer sciences employees most envision a nerdy White or Asian male typing away at computer desk, when this does not have to be the case. We, girl 3.0 aim to debunk this myth and attack these social constructions to help other girls, and even ourselves as girls feel more comfortable about engaging with computers in the professional realm.
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