Acknowledging the Significance of Gender - Understanding Gender Bias - The Research Center on Computing & Society

Text-only Version

Ann-Marie Lancaster

2. Understanding Gender Bias

What is the problem we wish to solve? Our discussions tend to focus on the under-representation of women in the computing field. However, this under-representation is simply a symptom of a more fundamental problem which lies in the elements of the computing culture and how these combine to create a male-oriented and male-dominated culture. To understand the significance of gender in the computing culture, we need to understand its role in society as a whole and its role in the academic culture in particular. We need to understand the extent to which gender stereotypes influence our perceptions or interpretations of reality. We need to recognize the extent to which gender bias influences classroom pedagogy. We need to acknowledge the extent to which gender bias influences our interactions with and evaluations of students and faculty. We need to realize that men and women have grown up in different cultures and that our society offers roles, aspirations, and estimates of worth to women that differ from those it offers to men. In affirming women’s equality, we tend to overlook the differences because these differences have been used to justify unequal treatment and opportunity. However, when we encourage women to enter those academic fields which have been traditionally dominated by men without understanding how their perspectives and values may differ from men, we are linking the success of women to their ability to adopt the male mantle. [7]

The differences based upon gender are being rediscovered in the social sciences. Theories which were formerly considered to be gender neutral in their scientific objectivity have been found instead to reflect a consistent observational and evaluative bias. Male behavior tends to be regarded as the norm which results in disregard and trivialization of perspectives and values perceived as female. In particular, characteristics associated with the male gender such as individualism, separation, competition and domination have been emphasized while values associated with the female gender such as cooperation, interaction, connectiveness and caring have been ignored. Consequently, since their perspectives have been considered unsuitable for scientific study, women have been excluded from participating in the development and exploration of science. [8]

The significance of gender in the computing culture needs to be explored, investigated and pondered. Part of understanding the problem will be recognizing our roles in perpetuating the problem both individually and collectively. As a group, we will have to acknowledge the issue of gender in the computer science culture as substantive and to identify the institutionalized barriers and inequitable practices which prevent the full participation of women in the computing field. Unfortunately, as a profession, we have not yet acknowledged that gender is anything other than a superficial aspect of an individual’s experience in the computing culture. While the absence of women in computer science programs and on computer science faculties has been recognized and even lamented by the computer science community, there is little indication that a significant number of computer scientists understand their own participation in the development and perpetuation of a computing culture which is inherently hostile to women. The “solutions” that have been proposed are vague and unrealistic, focus on the symptom, and avoid acknowledging the significance of gender in determining an individual’s potential for success in a computer science program.

Furthermore, discussions of gender issues are hindered because despite the fact that most of us in the computer science profession know very little about it, we either think we know quite a bit or perceive that there is very little to be known. This is not surprising since scientific communities have deep-seated traditions based upon the belief in an “objective” view of reality. To acknowledge that gender has anything to do with how we perceive reality would imply that there may be more than one “objective” way of perceiving reality or would imply that our own view is not “objective.”

To what extent do gender stereotypes influence our perceptions or interpretations of reality? What we see is being organized and interpreted by our previous knowledge. Although we may reject stereotypes on a conscious level, research has produced overwhelming evidence that the stereotype of the female in an inherently subordinate or inferior role to the male still operates as tacit knowledge and influences our perceptions. Unconscious bias may influence the perceived quality of suggestions, opinions, lectures, course content, and handling of administrative responsibilities. Numerous observed instances of this bias have been documented. [9]

To what extent does gender bias influence our classroom pedagogy? To what extent does it influence our curriculum guidelines and our perceptions of how material should be organized and taught? To what extent does gender bias influence our individual interaction with students and influence our evaluation of their performance and potential? To what extent does it influence us to encourage some students and discourage others? Studies of college students reveal that despite similar academic performances, women suffer a significant loss of self-esteem, self-confidence and academic ambitions during their college careers. The subtle attitudes and strategies that discourage girls from becoming involved in math and science and computing in the pre-college classroom are continued in the college classroom. For example, in college classrooms, men are more likely to be recognized and receive more eye contact from the instructor as well as more time and encouragement outside of class. Studies indicate that faculty interrupt women students more frequently than male students and often display a lack of interest in what women have to say. Male students receive more coaching by professors than do women and what men say is given more attention than suggestions or comments offered by female students. [10]

To what extent does gender bias influence our individual and collective evaluation of faculty members? Numerous studies demonstrate how the gender of an individual influences the perception and evaluation of his or her achievements and behavior. Studies of evaluation of work for publication suggest that reviewers tend to rate the written work higher when the author is believed to be male than when the author is believed to be female. Studies of performance evaluations strongly suggest that women may need more evidence than men for the same salary, rank or promotion. Men receive higher salaries than equally productive women at the same rank. Men who stand up for themselves are seen as competent and assertive; women who do the same are seen as obnoxious and aggressive. A man’s success is often seen as the result of ability and competence, while a woman’s success is attributed to external circumstances such as “being in the right place at the right time.” Consequently, women’s achievements are not as likely to be seen as reliable predictors of future success. [11]

The process of understanding gender bias in the computing culture must include extensive studies of how and to what extent gender bias is inherent in our definitions of computing, in our teaching paradigms for computing, in our classroom pedagogy as well as in our evaluations of academic performances and professional achievements. As part of this process, we must acknowledge the significance of gender and recognize the research which has revealed overwhelming evidence of gender bias in society, in academic disciplines and in the definition and study of science.

Back to the top

Go to: 3. The Traps

Home > Research Resources > Adaptive Technology > Equity and Access to Computing Resources > Acknowledging the Significance of Gender

The Research Center on Computing & Society
at Southern Connecticut State University
501 Crescent Street • New Haven, CT 06515
Director: (203) 392-6790 • e-mail: webmaster@computerethics.org

© 2000 – 2007 – Research Center on Computing & Society