Hey, CSE majors! Some of you may be interested in this new Sociology course exploring gender inequality in the tech industry:
Brogrammers and Geek Girls: Decoding Gender Inequality in the 21st Century Tech Industry
Summer 2018
Soc 401 A, fulfills I&S and Writing
Meets Tues/Thurs from 1:10-3:20
Why does the technology industry remain male-dominated?
What explains the hostility and sexism that many women report in tech jobs?
Why do men continue to receive the lion’s share of computer science and engineering degrees?
The tech industry has a gender problem: The Google memo, Uber’s sexual harassment scandal, and, in our own backyard, Microsoft’s alleged culture of “casual sexism.” These companies are not outliers; hardly a week goes by without media coverage of women’s (and sometimes men’s) grievances in the tech sector. And, despite mounting pressure for tech employers to diversify their workforces, women remain greatly underrepresented in technology jobs and classrooms.
In this course, we will consult social science theories and evaluate empirical evidence to “decode” persistent gender inequalities in the tech field. Whenever possible we will consider the extent to which women’s experiences intersect with the experiences of other underrepresented groups in the tech sector such as people of color. This course is intended to help students better navigate complex and controversial topics like “Is it important to have a diverse tech workforce?”, “Are men and women equally suited for tech jobs?”, “Are tech employers excluding women or are women choosing other jobs?”, and “What sorts of diversity policies actually work?”
This course is open to all majors, and students pursuing computing-related degrees are very much encouraged to enroll.
Instructor: Brian Serafini, valgaav@uw.edu