31/03: Special Issue of Women's Studies > Women and Technology: Reversing the Trends of Attrition and Obtaining a Balance

Many reports and technical news bulletins presented by organizations such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) highlight that few female and minority college students are choosing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.



For those who choose STEM fields, attrition both during education and in the workplace is pervasive. NSF reports in its 2006 Science Indicators that women account for only 27% of the bachelor’s degrees in computer sciences. And although the percentage of women occupied in science and engineering increased from 23% in 1993 to 27% in 2003, only 11% of the engineers are women. For computer science occupations in particular there was a 2% decline.



These trends start early. Studies show that girls ask fewer questions in the classroom. Girls and minorities are less likely to have access to computers in the education system or self-select out due to peer and family pressures.

Society reflects the trend by providing Gameboys but no Gamegirls. Game makers produce far more titles aimed at boys than girls. Often girls opt out of technical fields because they feel that they are less experienced and will be at a disadvantage. The antisocial “geek” image associated with computer scientists is a much stronger deterrent to women than men. Recently retention problems of women in STEM disciplines has been linked to women perceiving their intelligence as a gift as opposed to the male perception that intelligence is learned.



With this special issue, we would like to invite papers that shed light on this phenomenon and that discuss potential solutions. We are looking for original research, careful case studies and thoughtful review papers. The

work should be focused on computer science, information science, software engineering, information technology, or any combination of these. We use the term ‘information technology’ as an umbrella term. Topics include but are not limited to:



Interventions that worked/failed to introduce girls and women to the field or to retain them.

- Comparisons across countries, years, or companies of how women enter the field and remain there (or not)

- and possible causal factors.



Studies that explain what aspects attract women to enter and remain in the field.

- Comparisons and evaluations of current initiatives, activities and groups that focus on women in IT.

- Childhood development and early education indicators, particularly those that cite key turning points that

- contribute to this trend.



Cultural and environmental factors that contribute to the imbalance between genders.

- Insightful analyses of existing datasets such as those provided by Census Bureau, NSF Science Indicators,

- World Development Indicators, Eurostat and others.



Proposals that offer advice for government, universities, companies, and parents. We expect these proposals

- to be substantiated by data.



Inquiries should be sent to the guest editors:

Gondy Leroy, Claremont Graduate University, gondy [ punto ] leroycgu [ punto ] edu (gondy[dot]leroy[at]cgu[dot]edu)

Kristin M. Tolle, Microsoft Corporation, ktollemicrosoft [ punto ] com (ktolle[at]microsoft[dot]com)

Linda Perkins, Claremont Graduate University, linda [ punto ] perkinscgu [ punto ] edu (linda[dot]perkins[at]cgu[dot]edu)

Manuscripts must be submitted electronically in PDF format directly to gondy [ punto ] leroycgu [ punto ] edu (gondy[dot]leroy[at]cgu[dot]edu) no later then March 31, 2007, (acknowledgement will be sent upon receipt).

Accepted papers will need to comply with the required publication style and material for Women’s Studies.



Authors should consult the “Instructions for Authors” section at

http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/00497878.asp.