Unlocking the Clubhouse: Women in Computing PDF
Preview Unlocking the Clubhouse: Women in Computing
Unlocking the Clubhouse This Page Intentionally Left Blank Unlocking the Clubhouse Women in Computing Jane Margolis and Allan Fisher The MIT Press Cambridge, Massachusetts London, England 2002 Massachusetts Institute of Technology All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means (including photocopying, recording, or informa- tion storage and retrieval) without permission in writing from the publisher. This book was set in Sabon by Achorn Graphic Services, Inc. Printed and bound in the United States of America. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Margolis, Jane. Unlocking the clubhouse : women in computing / Jane Margolis and Allan Fisher. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-262-13398-9 (hc. : alk. paper) 1. Computer science—Vocational guidance. 2. Women in computer science. I. Fisher, Allan. II. Title. QA76.25 M35 2001 004´.023—dc21 2001034296 Contents Acknowledgments vii Introduction: Women out of the Loop 1 1 The Magnetic Attraction 15 2 Middle and High School: A Room of His Own 33 3 Computing with a Purpose 49 4 Geek Mythology 61 5 Living among the Programming Gods: The Nexus of Confidence and Interest 77 6 Persistence and Resistance: Staying in Computer Science 93 7 A Tale of 240 Teachers 109 8 Changing the University 129 Epilogue: Changing the Conversation in Computer Science 143 Appendix: Research Methodology 145 Sources and Further Reading 155 Index 165 This Page Intentionally Left Blank Acknowledgments Many people have contributed to the work behind this book. Faye Miller, our research associate, carried out many interviews and much data analy- sis. Faye’s attention to nuance, and her concern that we consider every sin- gle voice until we “get it right,” played an invaluable role in our research. Jo Sanders co-designed our high school teachers’ program and has been a consistent source of good advice; Mark Stehlik played a critical role in building the program; Terri Sawdon made it work. Elaine Seymour has been a constant source of support and insight. We have benefited from many discussions with our Pittsburgh col- leagues, Barbara Lazarus, Janet Schofield, Janet Stocks, and Indira Nair. We are particularly indebted to Barbara for introducing us in the first place and for guiding us to funding. We’ve learned much from our friends and colleagues Sheila Humphreys, Anita Borg, Paula Rayman, Elizabeth De- bold, Pat Campbell, Beryl Minkle, Noah Chevalier, Pattie Heyman, and Kathryn Portnow. Our colleagues in the Carnegie Mellon School of Com- puter Science—Jim Morris, Jim Roberts, Raj Reddy, Lenore Blum, and Catherine Copetas—have been consistently helpful and supportive. Jane’s new colleagues, Helen Astin, Jeannie Oakes, Linda Sax, Yasmin Kafai, and Laurette Cano lent an ear and provided support. Our funders—Ted Greenwood at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation; Carol Burger, Dawn Pickard, and Ruta Sevo at the National Science Foundation; and the Small Research Grants Program at the Spencer Foundation—have made the projects reported here and the writing of the book itself possible. We are especially grateful to the students, both women and men, who gave of their time and confidences in our study. We hope they will find their stories accurately and meaningfully reported here. We are also grateful viii Acknowledgments to the hundreds of high school teachers who have shared their time and expertise with us. Finally, we are pleased to acknowledge our families. Jane’s parents, Jules and Doris Margolis, and Allan’s mother, Amy Fisher, have lent their support. Jane’s husband, Mark, and Allan’s wife, Eden, have been out- standing readers of multiple drafts. Jane’s daughter, Sophie, and Allan’s children, Clark and Miranda, have not only been patient and supportive in their own ways but also have lent us additional firsthand insights into our topic. Unlocking the Clubhouse
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