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

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Ann-Marie Lancaster

1. Gender as a Predictor
2. Understanding Gender Bias
3. The Traps
3.1 Trap #1: Everyone experiences discrimination
3.2 Trap #2: Presence of women equates to absence of gender bias
3.3 Trap #3: An “other” is the source of the problem
3.4 Trap #4: Women need to change
3.5 Trap #5: Experiences in the other sciences are worse
4. Conclusion
End Notes
References

3. The Traps

We are understandably threatened by discussions of gender bias. This is intensified by the fact that being sexist is often presented as a binary proposition, either you discriminate based upon gender or you do not. To have grown up in this society without acquiring gender bias is no more possible than swimming in the ocean without getting salt on your body. We live in a culture in which women are inferior and their perspectives are devalued. When we stop denying the possibility that gender bias influences what we see and how we see it, we may begin to understand how it influences our behavior, our attitudes and our perceptions. There are common traps to avoid in the consideration of gender bias. These traps serve either to trivialize or to mask the issue of gender bias and as a result, hinder our ability to understand it.

3.1 Trap #1: Everyone experiences discrimination

A frequent response to the question of gender discrimination is “we have all been discriminated against.” It is important to distinguish between individual instances of discrimination and systemic discrimination. Gender biases are a result of cultural beliefs and social structures which view males as superior and females as inferior. Although much of the overt discrimination has been reduced and opportunities for women have expanded, the hierarchical system in which men are given preference is still actively functioning and the experiences of men and women continue to be very different.

3.2 Trap #2: Presence of women equates to absence of gender bias

Another potential trap is to equate the success of a few individuals with the absence of discrimination. For example, consider the argument “we have several women on our faculty therefore gender bias is not a factor in the functioning of our department.” This is analogous to saying that since some individuals survived a plane crash we can assume that plane crashes are not harmful. The presence of women on a faculty may indicate a certain degree of progress, however, it does not indicate the absence of the influence of gender bias. There are very successful women in the computing field, but they have succeeded despite the inherent hurdles not because there were no gender-based obstacles in their paths. The computing field continues to be male-dominated.

3.3 Trap #3: An “other” is the source of the problem

Another potential trap is to identify an “other” as the source of the problem. For example, there is substantial evidence indicating that attitudes and perceptions about computing are being developed at the elementary and secondary school levels. Consequently, we might contend that enrollment problems in computer science undergraduate programs are the result of the pre-college influences. There is no doubt that the negative pre-college influences are significant deterrents to women. However, there is every indication that these negative influences continue in college classrooms. For example, the self-esteem, self-confidence, and academic aspirations of women students decline significantly between their freshman and senior years despite strong academic performance. At the same time, the self-esteem, self-confidence, and academic aspirations of male students increase. The percentage of women with computer science undergraduate degrees who pursue graduate studies is significantly lower than the percentage of men. The problem of gender bias is pervasive and cannot be attributed to a single source. Addressing it must be a shared responsibility.

3.4 Trap #4: Women need to change

Another potential trap is to conclude that women should change, that is, if women would adopt the characteristics and attitudes associated with the male gender then they would be more likely to succeed. This simply reinforces the hierarchical system in which those characteristics associated with the female gender are considered inferior to those associated with the male gender. In other words, if women would be willing to accept their inferior status and deny the legitimacy of their values and perspectives, gender bias would no longer be an issue.

3.5 Trap #5: Experiences in other sciences are worse

Another potential trap is to declare “that as least we are not as bad as the other sciences.” When the computing field was new, there were some indications that it might avoid the entrenched inequalities of the traditional sciences. Unfortunately, the early positive signs have diminished. The social and educational influences which have deterred women from entering traditionally male-dominated fields have now been established for the field of computing. In fact, the computer science environment has been characterized by some as “particularly harsh for women.” [12]

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