The Secret History of Women in Coding, by Clive Thompson, is an interesting dive into the roles women have played in computer science throughout history. The underlying message being the struggles women have faced in a male-dominant industry.
The article starts off in a point in history where personal computers didn't exist. Hell, not even the idea of software existed. Computers were massive structures and programming was a pain compared to today. The process of inserting information into one of those computers was long and required precision. One would have to punch holes into a card, "feed" it, in a sense, to the computer, all in an efficient manner. Certainly it was a meticulous affair, and due to that reality, women took the forefront in the programming industry. Women were considered fit for the job, due to their expertise in activities like knitting, which were long, somewhat repetitive, and required a calm and diligent approach.
Now, all of this is very revealing once you get through the first half of the article. It would be easy to assume, upon reading the first paragraphs, that women and men were equals in the industry. The reality, however, is one that reveals sexism, even in times of perceived equality.
Men didn't value women, not necessarily. Programming a computer in olden times was almost considered insignificant, a daunting task surely, and anyone who would've done it would realize that, but compared to hardware development, it just fell off by the wayside. The gender norms dictated that programming was the secondary, less important task for women, while the computer engineering was the key role, taken by the men.
Then, it jumps to the personal computer.
All of a sudden, computers aren't so complicated anymore (thanks to the hugely undermined efforts of women) and are easier to purchase as a consumer. It is then that we see how an industry changes by the brutal influence of western postwar "nuclear family" culture. Parents raised by this generation would go on to establish gender roles on their children that would consequentially marginalize women from the computer industry, almost to this day.
Now, the cultural norm dictated that programming was suddenly a task for men. Young boys and teenagers would get their own personal computers. Typing away at the gummy keys of their Spectrum's and Commodores, (I really want a ZX Spectrum 128KB btw, if you made it this far and know where I can get one) the industry would take a major turn.
I really wouldn't want to dive much into this next part about programming in male culture. I mean, we all know it, right? Geeky, thin, white males throwing down code, society deeming it a male-only activity, and women feeling segregated despite them being more than capable. It's a no-brainer that women are equally capable as men, and the article mentions studies that back it up. Their dropping-out is merely a product of sexism.
At this point, the article mentions the efforts to re-introduce this field to the younger generations of women. A bit too riddled with notions of 3rd wave feminism for my taste, although to each their own. We've arrived at an era where, perhaps we don't consider coding as a male-exclusive activity as much (or maybe that's just me) as women just dislike coding altogether.
Ok I think that's well over 300. I can get a bit too carried away with anything sociopolitical. Anything over 600 might be a chore to read. Shoutout to Karlie Kloss, she knows what's up. Peace out.
The article starts off in a point in history where personal computers didn't exist. Hell, not even the idea of software existed. Computers were massive structures and programming was a pain compared to today. The process of inserting information into one of those computers was long and required precision. One would have to punch holes into a card, "feed" it, in a sense, to the computer, all in an efficient manner. Certainly it was a meticulous affair, and due to that reality, women took the forefront in the programming industry. Women were considered fit for the job, due to their expertise in activities like knitting, which were long, somewhat repetitive, and required a calm and diligent approach.
Now, all of this is very revealing once you get through the first half of the article. It would be easy to assume, upon reading the first paragraphs, that women and men were equals in the industry. The reality, however, is one that reveals sexism, even in times of perceived equality.
Men didn't value women, not necessarily. Programming a computer in olden times was almost considered insignificant, a daunting task surely, and anyone who would've done it would realize that, but compared to hardware development, it just fell off by the wayside. The gender norms dictated that programming was the secondary, less important task for women, while the computer engineering was the key role, taken by the men.
Then, it jumps to the personal computer.
All of a sudden, computers aren't so complicated anymore (thanks to the hugely undermined efforts of women) and are easier to purchase as a consumer. It is then that we see how an industry changes by the brutal influence of western postwar "nuclear family" culture. Parents raised by this generation would go on to establish gender roles on their children that would consequentially marginalize women from the computer industry, almost to this day.
Now, the cultural norm dictated that programming was suddenly a task for men. Young boys and teenagers would get their own personal computers. Typing away at the gummy keys of their Spectrum's and Commodores, (I really want a ZX Spectrum 128KB btw, if you made it this far and know where I can get one) the industry would take a major turn.
I really wouldn't want to dive much into this next part about programming in male culture. I mean, we all know it, right? Geeky, thin, white males throwing down code, society deeming it a male-only activity, and women feeling segregated despite them being more than capable. It's a no-brainer that women are equally capable as men, and the article mentions studies that back it up. Their dropping-out is merely a product of sexism.
At this point, the article mentions the efforts to re-introduce this field to the younger generations of women. A bit too riddled with notions of 3rd wave feminism for my taste, although to each their own. We've arrived at an era where, perhaps we don't consider coding as a male-exclusive activity as much (or maybe that's just me) as women just dislike coding altogether.
Ok I think that's well over 300. I can get a bit too carried away with anything sociopolitical. Anything over 600 might be a chore to read. Shoutout to Karlie Kloss, she knows what's up. Peace out.
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