Section I : Little Girls, Microcomputers, and Computer Literate Women

Though it is generally assumed that most people interested in computers are men, the predominance of men in computer science has only truly developed in the last two decades as microcomputers have been introduced into the home. (Lockheed 117) In fact, the first computer programmer was a woman, Augusta "Ada" Byron, Countess of Lovelace, who wrote computer instructions in the nineteenth century for Babbage's computing machine. (Ogilvie 49-50) A tradition of women in the new field of computing continued through 1960, when of the 2000 programmers in the world, 65% were women. (Lockheed 117) Statistics have changed drastically since then, with only 34% of computer science degrees being awarded to women, and male to female ratios in computer science class ranging from 2:1 to 5:1. (Lockheed 117) The boom in sex stereotyping in computer science is disturbing to say the least, and a growing number of academics are now attempting to learn how women are being discouraged from going into computer science.

This research has also lead to discussions about whether or not women are really using computers less than men or if women merely tend to use computers in different ways than men. Many sociologists now suggest that women prefer to approach computers as a way of accomplishing tasks while men tend to enjoy experimenting and playing with computers and their programming. Though the mainstream press has been quick to distill this debate into statements such as "females... seem to think that machines were meant to be used, like the microwave oven or the dishwasher," (Kantrowitz 50) this debate opens much more complex issues as how available computers are to girls and how are they encouraged to use them. (Lockheed 117-118)

Differences between how men and women approach computers have only emerged in some specific areas of computer use, and the factors which lead to these differences have proven to be complex. (Lockheed 118-119) Males tend to use computers more for programming and game playing than females, yet in other uses of computers, the genders are surprisingly equal. (Wilder 215) The reason for this gap in programming has become hotly debated in recent years. Some link this gap to the theory that women are "soft learners... [who] identify with computers interactively and conversationally." (Nye 94) Males, as "hard learners," are excited by the hierarchical and strictly logical learning which may be necessary in computer programming. (Nye 94) Others, however, point to more societally based obstacles. Girls are socialized to feel inferior in classes dealing with computers and technology. Similarly, they often receive signals when they are given classwork in computers that the subject is irrelevant to them. Young women are often unconsciously discriminated against by teachers. (Lockheed 119) Still others argue that computer programming stressing competition and winning which directly contradicts "socialized female values." (Lockheed 119) The gap in recreational use of computers also appears to be linked to the sex stereotyping of computer games and the fact that parents are more likely to buy their sons computer games than their daughters. (Lockheed 120)

Though the debate over the gender gap in computer programming may be far from resolved, sociologists only recently have begun to recognize that women are not discouraged by all types of computer use. Women do not seem to feel discouraged from using computers as tools to complete tasks. Tools such as word processing software are less sex stereotyped than say computer games, and are commonly used by women. Software tools are perceived to be more relevant to other, non-computer related activities, so women actually are more likely to take future coursework in word processing programs and other software tools. (Lockheed 120)

As the Internet and commercial on-line services have become more easily accessible to those outside the computer field, women have been increasing in number on-line. As research and communication tools through e-mail, newsgroups, and the World Wide Web have increased in popularity and efficiency, women have overcome sex stereotypes and social stigmas about computer use and begun to become active on the Internet. Once surmounting their own personal obstacles to getting on-line, however, the female cybernaut must overcome the many barriers of a male centered technology.