Interventions and Solutions in Gender and IT

2011 ◽  
pp. 2216-2220
Author(s):  
Amy B. Woszczynski ◽  
Janette Moody
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Women In It ◽  
It Workforce ◽  
Women In Technology ◽  
The Many ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Professional Fields ◽  
It Workplace ◽  
Gender And It

The role of women in technology-related fields began with promising contributions from pioneers like Grace Hopper. In recent years, women have moved away from information technology (IT) fields, and the number of women selecting IT majors in universities continues to decline. Likewise, the number of women employed in the IT workforce remains low and declining. Researchers have recognized the problem and have investigated the many reasons for low participation of women in IT-related fields. Researchers have proposed various interventions to fill the pipeline and retain women in computing. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the current state of women in IT. We focus on girls and women at various life stages, from early education to the IT workplace. We also provide a discussion of the various methods and appropriate interventions that may be employed to encourage women to become empowered users of technology worldwide. We use a broad definition of IT, which includes computer science (CS), computer engineering, information systems (IS), information technology (IT), and related professional fields. By examining research from multiple technologyrelated fields, we gain a clearer picture of the many ways that women may participate in IT. Recent research on gender and IT has used an interdisciplinary approach, which has greatly expanded our potential for understanding why women decide not to pursue IT-related fields and how to implement appropriate interventions. Researchers from topics as diverse as IS, psychology, social sciences, education, and feminism, have taken a distinctive approach to understanding why women are not better represented in the IT workplace. We believe this broad, interdisciplinary approach has great potential to understand motivations for women pursuing IT-related careers. As Trauth & Niederman (2006, p. 8) said, “…the IT profession is challenged with meeting the demand to enlarge the IT workforce by recruiting and retaining personnel from historically underrepresented groups.” This chapter looks at women in IT, shedding light on one historically underrepresented group.

Interventions and Solutions in Gender and IT

2011 ◽  
pp. 1991-1998
Author(s):  
Amy B. Woszczynski ◽  
Janette Moody
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Women In It ◽  
It Workforce ◽  
Women In Technology ◽  
The Many ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Professional Fields ◽  
It Workplace ◽  
Gender And It

The role of women in technology-related fields began with promising contributions from pioneers like Grace Hopper. In recent years, women have moved away from information technology (IT) fields, and the number of women selecting IT majors in universities continues to decline. Likewise, the number of women employed in the IT workforce remains low and declining. Researchers have recognized the problem and have investigated the many reasons for low participation of women in IT-related fields. Researchers have proposed various interventions to fill the pipeline and retain women in computing. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the current state of women in IT. We focus on girls and women at various life stages, from early education to the IT workplace. We also provide a discussion of the various methods and appropriate interventions that may be employed to encourage women to become empowered users of technology worldwide. We use a broad definition of IT, which includes computer science (CS), computer engineering, information systems (IS), information technology (IT), and related professional fields. By examining research from multiple technologyrelated fields, we gain a clearer picture of the many ways that women may participate in IT. Recent research on gender and IT has used an interdisciplinary approach, which has greatly expanded our potential for understanding why women decide not to pursue IT-related fields and how to implement appropriate interventions. Researchers from topics as diverse as IS, psychology, social sciences, education, and feminism, have taken a distinctive approach to understanding why women are not better represented in the IT workplace. We believe this broad, interdisciplinary approach has great potential to understand motivations for women pursuing IT-related careers. As Trauth & Niederman (2006, p. 8) said, “…the IT profession is challenged with meeting the demand to enlarge the IT workforce by recruiting and retaining personnel from historically underrepresented groups.” This chapter looks at women in IT, shedding light on one historically underrepresented group.

IT Workforce Composition and Characteristics

2011 ◽  
pp. 850-855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua L. Rosenbloom ◽  
Ronald A. Ash ◽  
LeAnne Coder ◽  
Brandon Dupont
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Labor Force ◽  
Labor Force Participation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Women's Representation ◽  
The Past ◽  
Women’S Representation ◽  
Women In It ◽  
It Workforce

Women are under represented in the information technology (IT) workforce. In the United States, although women make up about 45% of the overall labor force they make up only about 35% of the IT workforce. (Information Technology Association of America, 2003, p. 11). Within IT, women’s representation declines as one moves up to higher-level occupations. While women are relatively more numerous among data entry keyers and computer operators, they are relatively less likely to be found in high-level occupations like systems analysts and computer programmers. The relatively low representation of women in IT fields parallels a broader pattern of gender differentials in other scientific and technical fields. In all science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields combined, women held 25.9% of jobs in 2003. Women’s representation varies widely by sub-fields, however; 65.8% of psychologists and 54.6% of social scientists are women, but only 10.4% of engineers, and 37.4% of natural scientists (Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology, 2004, p. 2). Over the course of the past 100 years, there has been a dramatic change in women’s economic role. In 1900, only one in five adult women worked outside the home, and most of these were young and unmarried (Goldin, 1990). Since then, male and female labor force participation rates have tended to converge. Between 1900 and 1950 there was a gradual expansion of women’s labor force participation. After World War II the pace of change accelerated sharply as more married women entered the labor force. During the 1960s and early 1970s a series of legal changes significantly broadened protection of women’s rights ending essentially all forms of overt discrimination (Fuchs, 1988; Long, 2001, p. 9-10). The removal of these barriers in combination with the availability of cheap and reliable birth control technology greatly facilitated the entry of women into higher education, and technical and professional positions (Goldin & Katz, 2002). Nevertheless, as the figures cited at the outset reveal, women’s participation in IT and other technical fields has not increased as rapidly as it has in less technical fields. And in striking contrast to the general trend toward increasing female participation in most areas of the workforce, women’s share of the IT workforce in the United States has actually declined over the past two decades. Any effort to explain gender differences in IT must begin with an understanding of how the number, characteristics, and pay of women in IT have evolved over time, and across different sub-fields within IT. This chapter provides a foundation for this analysis by documenting recent changes in the number of women employed in IT, their demographic characteristics, and relative pay.

Managing New Zealand Women in IT

2011 ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keri A. Logan ◽  
Barbara Crump
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Work Environment ◽  
Qualitative Studies ◽  
It Professionals ◽  
Women's Participation ◽  
Women In It ◽  
It Workforce ◽  
Workplace Attitudes ◽  
Males And Females

This chapter discusses workplace attitudes and policies that continue to affect women’s participation, retention, and promotion in the information technology (IT) workforce. It draws on data collected from two qualitative studies of New Zealand women working in the industry. The findings reveal that there are some distinct differences in the way in which males and females operate in the workplace, and that women’s values and different work practices are often not taken into account by management. Managers of IT professionals who recognise the subtleties of the gendered culture of the IT work environment and who develop and implement equitable policies and strategies will be rewarded by a creative, innovative, and productive workforce.

Theorizing Gender and Information Technology Research

2011 ◽  
pp. 1154-1159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eileen M. Trauth
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Research Problem ◽  
The Body ◽  
Theoretical Research ◽  
Women In It ◽  
Data Collection And Analysis ◽  
Women's Relationships ◽  
Underrepresentation Of Women ◽  
Gender And It

A fundamental consideration when attempting to understand the complex factors leading to the underrepresentation of women in IT is the choice and use of theory. Theories about women and their relationships to information technology and the IT profession guide the conceptualization of the research problem, the methods of data collection, the basis for analysis, and the conclusions that are drawn. However, a criticism of gender and IT research is that the topic of gender and IT is currently undertheorized (Adam, Howcroft, & Richardson, 2001, 2004). This undertheorization takes on several different forms. First, there are cases in which there is no theory in evidence to guide the conceptualization of the research project or to inform the data collection and analysis. Rather, the focus is typically on compiling and representing statistical data regarding the differences between men and women with respect to technology adoption, use or involvement in the IT profession. This form of undertheorization can be labeled pre-theoretical research. Second, other research, while not explicitly articulating a particular theory, nevertheless, is guided by a theory-in-use. For example, quite often a theory of inherent differences between males’ and females’ relationships to IT is used implicitly to guide data collection and analysis. This form of undertheorization can be labeled implicit-theoretical research. This approach is considered to be a type of undertheorization in that the lack of explicit discussion of a theory makes it difficult for others to discuss, challenge or extend the research. Finally, the body of research that reflects explicit theory-in-use has been shown to have gaps in the theoretical landscape (Trauth, 2002). That is, an argument has been made that current theories about gender and IT do not fully account for the variation in men’s and women’s relationships to information technology and the IT field. This form of undertheorization can be labeled insufficient-theoretical research. It is this third condition that is addressed in this article: the need for new theoretical insights to guide our effort to understand the underrepresentation of women in the IT profession.

Theorizing Gender and Information Technology Research

2009 ◽  
pp. 2309-2315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eileen M. Trauth
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Research Problem ◽  
The Body ◽  
Theoretical Research ◽  
Women In It ◽  
Data Collection And Analysis ◽  
Women's Relationships ◽  
Underrepresentation Of Women ◽  
Gender And It

A fundamental consideration when attempting to understand the complex factors leading to the underrepresentation of women in IT is the choice and use of theory. Theories about women and their relationships to information technology and the IT profession guide the conceptualization of the research problem, the methods of data collection, the basis for analysis, and the conclusions that are drawn. However, a criticism of gender and IT research is that the topic of gender and IT is currently undertheorized (Adam, Howcroft, & Richardson, 2001, 2004). This undertheorization takes on several different forms. First, there are cases in which there is no theory in evidence to guide the conceptualization of the research project or to inform the data collection and analysis. Rather, the focus is typically on compiling and representing statistical data regarding the differences between men and women with respect to technology adoption, use or involvement in the IT profession. This form of undertheorization can be labeled pre-theoretical research. Second, other research, while not explicitly articulating a particular theory, nevertheless, is guided by a theory-in-use. For example, quite often a theory of inherent differences between males’ and females’ relationships to IT is used implicitly to guide data collection and analysis. This form of undertheorization can be labeled implicit-theoretical research. This approach is considered to be a type of undertheorization in that the lack of explicit discussion of a theory makes it difficult for others to discuss, challenge or extend the research. Finally, the body of research that reflects explicit theory-in-use has been shown to have gaps in the theoretical landscape (Trauth, 2002). That is, an argument has been made that current theories about gender and IT do not fully account for the variation in men’s and women’s relationships to information technology and the IT field. This form of undertheorization can be labeled insufficient-theoretical research. It is this third condition that is addressed in this article: the need for new theoretical insights to guide our effort to understand the underrepresentation of women in the IT profession.

The Cross-Cultural Dimension of Gender and Information Technology

2009 ◽  
pp. 1753-1760
Author(s):  
Haiyan Huang
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Dimension ◽  
Design Collaboration ◽  
Technology Industry ◽  
It Workforce ◽  
The Cross ◽  
Underrepresentation Of Women ◽  
Gender And It

The underrepresentation of women in the information technology (IT) sector has been widely studied in the contexts of western countries such as North American and Western European countries. These studies indicate that the underrepresentation of women in the IT sector is unveiled in multiple perspectives, including IT access, the development, adoption and use of IT, IT education, and the IT workforce in general and within the IT workforce structure itself (e.g., different levels of IT positions) (Cooper & Weaver, 2003; Gürer & Camp, 2002; Hartzel, 2003; Klein, Jiang & Tesch, 2002; Margolis & Fisher, 2002; Rommes, 2002; Trauth, 2002; von Hellens, Neilsen, & Beekhuyzen, 2001; Webster, 1996). Why is it important to study issues related to gender and information technology? First, it is argued that the information technology sector should value and leverage all kinds of diversity (including gender diversity as one dimension) to enhance productivity, to facilitate IT innovation, and to develop IT for a wide variety of people (Avgerou, 2002; Roberts, 2003; Trauth, Huang, Morgan, Quesenberry, & Yeo, 2006). Second, it is also argued that women’s underrepresentation in and exclusion from information technology can be attributed to power and socio-cultural reproduction of inequality through technology development and use, and the historically socialconstruction of technology fields as “masculine” domains, which result in a gendered digital divide (Cockburn, 1985; Kvasny & Trauth, 2002; Kvasny & Truex, 2001; Wajcman, 1991, 2004; Woodfield, 2000). Ignorance or failure to address issues related to gender and IT will further marginalize women’s participation in future economic and social development, and will endanger social equality and social welfare in general (Kvasny & Trauth, 2002). A significant trend of the contemporary information technology industry is towards globalization, which is manifested through a variety of established practices such as IT offshore outsourcing, global software development, and innovation through global R&D (research & design) collaboration (Sahay, Nicholson, & Krishna, 2003; Walsham, 2000, 2001, 2002). Such a globalization trend of the IT industry and market has put forward new challenges to gender and IT research, to incorporate the cross-cultural dimension. Similar to the rationale for studying gender and IT in developed countries (leveraging diversity and improving social inclusion), Hafkin and Taggart (2001) argued that it is imperative to examine the cultural factors while studying gender and IT in developing countries

The Cross-Cultural Dimension of Gender and Information Technology

2011 ◽  
pp. 147-153
Author(s):  
Haiyan Huang
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Gender Relations ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
It Outsourcing ◽  
Cultural Dimension ◽  
It Workforce ◽  
It Workers ◽  
The Cross ◽  
Underrepresentation Of Women ◽  
Gender And It

The underrepresentation of women in the information technology (IT) sector has been widely studied in the contexts of western countries such as North American and Western European countries. These studies indicate that the underrepresentation of women in the IT sector is unveiled in multiple perspectives, including IT access, the development, adoption and use of IT, IT education, and the IT workforce in general and within the IT workforce structure itself (e.g., different levels of IT positions) (Cooper & Weaver, 2003; Gürer & Camp, 2002; Hartzel, 2003; Klein, Jiang & Tesch, 2002; Margolis & Fisher, 2002; Rommes, 2002; Trauth, 2002; von Hellens, Neilsen, & Beekhuyzen, 2001; Webster, 1996). Why is it important to study issues related to gender and information technology? First, it is argued that the information technology sector should value and leverage all kinds of diversity (including gender diversity as one dimension) to enhance productivity, to facilitate IT innovation, and to develop IT for a wide variety of people (Avgerou, 2002; Roberts, 2003; Trauth, Huang, Morgan, Quesenberry, & Yeo, 2006). Second, it is also argued that women’s underrepresentation in and exclusion from information technology can be attributed to power and socio-cultural reproduction of inequality through technology development and use, and the historically social-construction of technology fields as “masculine” domains, which result in a gendered digital divide (Cockburn, 1985; Kvasny & Trauth, 2002; Kvasny & Truex, 2001; Wajcman, 1991, 2004; Woodfield, 2000). Ignorance or failure to address issues related to gender and IT will further marginalize women’s participation in future economic and social development, and will endanger social equality and social welfare in general (Kvasny & Trauth, 2002). A significant trend of the contemporary information technology industry is towards globalization, which is manifested through a variety of established practices such as IT offshore outsourcing, global software development, and innovation through global R&D (research & design) collaboration (Sahay, Nicholson, & Krishna, 2003; Walsham, 2000, 2001, 2002). Such a globalization trend of the IT industry and market has put forward new challenges to gender and IT research, to incorporate the cross-cultural dimension. Similar to the rationale for studying gender and IT in developed countries (leveraging diversity and improving social inclusion), Hafkin and Taggart (2001) argued that it is imperative to examine the cultural factors while studying gender and IT in developing countries. Although the research on the cross-cultural dimension of gender relations with information technology is limited, Galpin (2002) pointed out that the underrepresentation of women in IT seems to be a worldwide phenomenon indicated by statistics. Galpin (2002) also pointed out that there is a wide range of participation in IT by women, which is influenced by complex cultural and societal factors that are different from country to country. Models related to gender relations to IT developed in certain socio-cultural contexts may not be applicable to others (Clarke & Teague, 1994a; El Louadi & Everard, 2005; Mukhopadhyay, 1996, 2004). In addition to the importance of studying gender and IT within a specific cultural context, there is another perspective of the cross-cultural dimension of gender and IT: the increasingly diversified global IT workforce as a result of the IT skill shortage, global IT outsourcing, and other global IT collaborations. For example, under the pressure of the skill shortage of the IT workforce in America, the IT institutions and industry turn to the global intellectual pool for recruiting talented international students and skilled IT workers through F-1 and H1-B visas (National Research Council, 2001). According to the 2005 ITAA (Information Technology Association of America) report, the representation of Asian IT workers in the IT workforce doubled the number of Asian worker in the overall workforce in America (ITAA, 2005). Globally, an increasing number of countries have a maturing IT sector, which enables them to enter the global IT outsourcing market or to engage in globally distributed collaborative software work through virtual environment (Trauth et al., 2005). The mobility and cultural diversity of the global IT workforce will add more complexity to articulate their gender relations to IT since individuals may have different cultural backgrounds and experiences. Therefore, it is important for scholars and practitioners to explore the cross-cultural dimension of gender and IT to understand how the nuances of different cultural influences shape women’s relations with IT, to build knowledge with respect to the plural perspective of gender and IT research, and to prepare future global IT workforce. In this article, I first articulate the theoretical underpinnings of cross-cultural dimension of gender and IT research, then review some current studies related to this research area, and finally discuss some future research agendas.

Women in IT Careers

2011 ◽  
pp. 35-49
Author(s):  
Elaine K. Yakura ◽  
Louise Soe ◽  
Ruth Guthrie
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Career Paths ◽  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
The Other ◽  
Single Person ◽  
Women In It ◽  
It Workforce ◽  
Consulting Firms ◽  
Executive Level ◽  
Industry Sectors

Research on the declining numbers of women in the Information Technology (IT) workforce focuses on ‘filling the pipeline’ by attracting women into IT disciplines at colleges and universities. This research looks at the other end of the pipeline, examining both barriers and support structures that have helped women persist in their IT careers. The chapter draws from extended interviews with 38 women who have been successful in planning their careers and navigating a male-dominated industry. It focuses on what women cited as barriers and as areas of support, in response to open-ended questions about their careers and career paths. The interviewees, drawn from nine industry sectors, represented a wide breadth and depth of experience. Half were at the professional level, and half at the managerial or executive level in organizations that varied from single-person consulting firms to large institutions.

Religious Narrative

2013 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 3-9
Author(s):  
Armin Geertz
Keyword(s):  
Special Issue ◽  
Human Communication ◽  
Religious Narrative ◽  
The Many ◽  
Definition Of

This introduction to the special issue on narrative discusses various ways of approaching religious narrative. It looks at various evolutionary hypotheses and distinguishes between three fundamental aspects of narrative: 1. the neurobiological, psychological, social and cultural mechanisms and processes, 2. the many media and methods used in human communication, and 3. the variety of expressive genres. The introduction ends with a definition of narrative.

The Roman Retail Revolution

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven J. R. Ellis
Keyword(s):  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Archaeological Material ◽  
Roman World ◽  
The Social ◽  
History Of ◽  
Food And Drink ◽  
Bodies Of Evidence ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The University

Tabernae were ubiquitous among all Roman cities, lining the busiest streets and dominating their most crowded intersections, and in numbers not known by any other form of building. That they played a vital role in the operation of the city—indeed in the very definition of urbanization—is a point too often under-appreciated in Roman studies, or at best assumed. The Roman Retail Revolution is a thorough investigation into the social and economic worlds of the Roman shop. With a focus on food and drink outlets, and with a critical analysis of both archaeological material and textual sources, Ellis challenges many of the conventional ideas about the place of retailing in the Roman city. A new framework is forwarded, for example, to understand the motivations behind urban investment in tabernae. Their historical development is also unraveled to identify three major waves—or, revolutions—in the shaping of retail landscapes. Two new bodies of evidence underpin the volume. The first is generated from the University of Cincinnati’s recent archaeological excavations into a Pompeian neighborhood of close to twenty shop-fronts. The second comes from a field survey of the retail landscapes of more than a hundred cities from across the Roman world. The richness of this information, combined with an interdisciplinary approach to the lives of the Roman sub-elite, results in a refreshingly original look at the history of retailing and urbanism in the Roman world.

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