Gender Codes
Why Women Are Leaving Computing
Published on 21. June 2010
328 pages
978-0-470-61991-9 (ISBN)
Description
The computing profession faces a serious gender crisis. Today,fewer women enter computing than anytime in the past 25 years. Thisbook provides an unprecedented look at the history of women and menin computing, detailing how the computing profession emerged andmatured, and how the field became male coded. Women's experiencesworking in offices, education, libraries, programming, andgovernment are examined for clues on how and where womensucceeded--and where they struggled. It also provides a uniqueinternational dimension with studies examining the U.S., GreatBritain, Germany, Norway, and Greece. Scholars in history,gender/women's studies, and science and technology studies, as wellas department chairs and hiring directors will find this volumeilluminating.
Reviews / Votes
"This is a very valuable book in dispelling many of the myths about women and computing . . . For anyone interested in understanding why women are not attracted to the computing profession, including teachers and IT managers, this book is highly recommended. It provides an in-depth understanding of how and why we are where we are." (Sex Roles, 2011) "Gender Codes is an important book . . . this is a task in which the IEEE History Center can play a role, and we think our readers can and should as well-they can begin with reading this seminal book" (Bibliography, 1 March 2011) "This book is an excellent introduction to some of the main themes, and there are many more chapters waiting to be written." (IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, 1 April 2011) "Summing up: Recommended [for] all levels/libraries." (CHOICE, January 2011)More details
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08/2010
1st Edition
Wiley
€40.50
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Thomas J. Misa
Gender Codes - Why Women Are Leaving Computing
Software
08/2010
Wiley
€37.90
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Person
THOMAS J. MISA is at the University of Minnesota, where he directs the Charles Babbage Institute, teaches in the graduate program for the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine, and is a faculty member in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Content
Foreword ix
Preface xiii
Contributors xv
PART I: TOOLS FOR UNDERSTANDING 1
1 Gender Codes 3
Defining the Problem
Thomas J. Misa
2 Computer Science 25
The Incredible Shrinking Woman
Caroline Clarke Hayes
3 Masculinity and the Machine Man 51
Gender in the History of Data Processing
Thomas Haigh
PART II: INSTITUTIONAL LIFE 73
4 A Gendered Job Carousel 75
Employment Effects of Computer Automation
Corinna Schlombs
5 Meritocracy and Feminization in Confl ict 95
Computerization in the British Government
Marie Hicks
6 Making Programming Masculine 115
Nathan Ensmenger
7 Gender and Computing in the Push-Button Library143
Greg Downey
PART III: MEDIA AND CULTURE 163
8 Cultural Perceptions of Computers in Norway 1980-2007165
From "Anybody" Via "Male Experts" to "Everybody"
Hilde G. Corneliussen
9 Constructing Gender and Technology in Advertising Images187
Feminine and Masculine Computer Parts
Aristotle Tympas, Hara Konsta, Theodore Lekkas, and SerkanKaras
PART IV: WOMEN IN COMPUTING 211
10 The Pleasure Paradox 213
Bridging the Gap Between Popular Images of Computing andWomen's Historical Experiences
Janet Abbate
11 Programming Enterprise 229
Women Entrepreneurs in Software and Computer Services
Jeffrey R. Yost
12 Gender Codes 251
Lessons from History
Thomas J. Misa
13 Gender Codes 265
Prospects for Change
Caroline Clarke Hayes
Bibliography 275
Index 297
