Gender and Information Technology: Moving Beyond Access to Co-Create Global Partnership
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Gender and Information Technology: Moving Beyond Access to Co-Create Global Partnership Mary Kirk Metropolitan State University, USA INFORMATION SCIENCE REFERENCE Hershey • New York Director of Editorial Content: Kristin Klinger Director of Production: Jennifer Neidig Managing Editor: Jamie Snavely Assistant Managing Editor: Carole Coulson Managing Development Editor: Kristin M. Roth Assistant Development Editor: Deborah Yahnke Editorial Assistant: Rebecca Beistline Typesetter: Sean Woznicki Cover Design: Lisa Tosheff Printed at: Yurchak Printing Inc. Published in the United States of America by Information Science Reference (an imprint of IGI Global) 701 E. Chocolate Avenue, Suite 200 Hershey PA 17033 Tel: 717-533-8845 Fax: 717-533-8661 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.igi-global.com/reference and in the United Kingdom by Information Science Reference (an imprint of IGI Global) 3 Henrietta Street Covent Garden London WC2E 8LU Tel: 44 20 7240 0856 Fax: 44 20 7379 0609 Web site: http://www.eurospanbookstore.com Copyright © 2009 by IGI Global. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without written permission from the publisher. Product or company names used in this set are for identi. cation purposes only. Inclusion of the names of the products or companies does not indicate a claim of ownership by IGI Global of the trademark or registered trademark. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Gender and information technology : moving beyond access to co-create global partnership / Mary Kirk. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. Summary: “This book explores the decline in female involvement in technology and other discrimination related to the industry”--Provided by publisher. ISBN 978-1-59904-786-7 (hardcover) -- ISBN 978-1-59904-788-1 (ebook) 1. High technology industries--Employees. 2. Sex discrimination against women. I. Kirk, Mary, 1955- HC79.H53G46 2009 331.4’81004--dc22 2008022553 British Cataloguing in Publication Data A Cataloguing in Publication record for this book is available from the British Library. All work contributed to this book set is new, original material. The views expressed in this book set are those of the authors, but not necessarily of the publisher. If a library purchased a print copy of this publication, please go to http://www.igi-global.com/agreement for information on activating the library's complimentary electronic access to this publication. Table of Contents Foreword............................................................................................................viii Preface.................................................................................................................. xi Acknowledgment...........................................................................................xxxiv Section.I:. One.Feminist’s.Perspective Chapter.I Demyth-ifying.Feminism:.Reclaiming.the.“F”.Word.......................................1 Objectives .............................................................................................................1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 1 Myth #1: It’s Just the Way Things Are ..................................................................5 Myth #2: It’s About Women Being Equal to Men ................................................ 9 Myth #3: Men and Women are Just Different ..................................................... 12 Myth #4: Feminists want to be Like Men ........................................................... 18 Myth #5: I Don’t Have a Race, I’m White ......................................................... 21 Myth #6: It’s “Their” Problem, Not Mine .......................................................... 24 Writing a New Story: Shifting from Domination to Partnership ........................ 29 Questions for Reflective Dialog .......................................................................... 31 References ........................................................................................................... 32 Endnotes .............................................................................................................. 35 Chapter.II Dualisms.and.Stereotypes:.Tools.of.Domination.............................................37 Objectives ........................................................................................................... 37 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 37 Gender: The Ultimate Dualism ........................................................................... 38 Stereotypes, Influence, and Persuasion ............................................................... 41 Stereotype Threat in Science and IT ................................................................... 54 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 56 Questions for Reflective Dialog .......................................................................... 56 References ........................................................................................................... 57 Endnotes .............................................................................................................. 61 Chapter.III Gendered.Philosophy.of.Science:.Science.is.Male,.Nature.is.Female........... 62 Objectives ........................................................................................................... 62 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 63 Science is Male, Nature is Female ...................................................................... 63 The Myth of Objectivity ..................................................................................... 65 There’s No Crying in Science! ............................................................................ 67 Envisioning a Partnership Philosophy of Science and Technology .................... 70 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 77 Questions for Reflective Dialog .......................................................................... 78 References ........................................................................................................... 79 Endnote ............................................................................................................... 82 Section.II:. Perspectives.on.Dominator.Social.Institutions Chapter.IV Mass.Media.as.Social.Institution:.The.Wired.Example.................................. 85 Objectives ........................................................................................................... 85 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 85 Mass Media and its Power to Influence .............................................................. 86 Wired: Do I Hear Static on the Line? .................................................................. 92 Conclusion .........................................................................................................113 Questions for Reflective Dialog .........................................................................113 References ..........................................................................................................114 Endnotes .............................................................................................................118 Chapter.V Language.as.Social.Institution:.The.Male-Centered.IT.Culture..................119 Objectives ..........................................................................................................119 Introduction ........................................................................................................119 Why Political Correctness Matters ................................................................... 120 Gendered Communication Style ....................................................................... 122 Male-Centered IT Communication Style and Culture ...................................... 125 Dominance, Violence and Sex Metaphors in IT ............................................... 129 Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 137 Questions for Reflective Dialog ........................................................................ 138 References ......................................................................................................... 139 Endnote ............................................................................................................. 142 Chapter.VI Education.as.Social.Institution:.Understanding.Her-Story......................... 143 Objectives ......................................................................................................... 143 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 143 Our Incomplete Knowledge Tradition .............................................................. 144 A Brief Her-Story of Women in Math, Science, and Engineering .................... 147 The Ins and Outs