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Unraveling the Masculinization of
Technology
Audrey Eschright / Open Source Bridge 2016
Technology? Masculinity??
This is what a software developer looks like
This is who we hire to write code
http://techcompaniesthatonlyhiremen.tumblr.com/post/48420931551/leaplab
not all men (are represented)
Given all the ways this is reinforced, no wonder the
narrative sticks.
Those of us who don’t fit into that dominant masculinity are taught,
over and over, to write ourselves out.
If you’re under the age of 30, you have never seen
anything different.
How did we get here?
You’ve heard of Ada Lovelace, right?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:KayMcNultyAlyseSnyderSisStumpDifferentialAnalyzer.jpg
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/books/2013/02/steve_jobs_and_phone_hacking_exploding_the_phone_by_phil_lapsley_reviewed.html
https://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/ibm100/us/en/icons/trackingdiseases/
A light flashes once every five minutes; another light flashes every 14 minutes. If they both flash together at 1:00pm., what time will they next flash together?
An aptitude question to screen potential developers:
Margaret Hamilton defined software engineering
Photo: NASA
“…a fascinating and disturbing study, where they looked at the ratio of men and women in groups.
And they found that if there's 17 percent women, the men in the group think it's 50-50.
And if there's 33 percent women, the men perceive that as there being more women in the room than men.”
The masculinity of technology is constructed, over and over.
Through erasure, through moving goal-posts, through the narratives we promote.
Participation time!
Who benefits from inequality?
What’s the downside to creating more equality?
What’s the new narrative we need?
What would it feel like to see true gender diversity in our field?
What do we have to give up to get there?
Thanks! and further reading• The Recompiler issue 4: legacy systems (available at
shop.recompilermag.com)
• The Computer Boys Take Over by Nathan Ensmenger
• Hidden Figures by Margot Shetterly (will be out in September 2016)
• http://thehumancomputerproject.com/women
• Contact me: [email protected]
