When and Where:

Undergraduate Course 15-296
Spring 4, 2021
Monday, Wednesday, 10:40am - 12:00pm
Virtual

Instructor: Dr. Carol Frieze
Units: 5 (mini)

Course Description:

“(A)s computing becomes more ubiquitous we need to know what is happening to women in computing. We need to know which factors are helping to advance women, or, holding women back when careers in computing fields are becoming more and more plentiful, and rewarding.” (Frieze and Quesenberry, 2020)

Consider this data:

• In 2018 in the USA women represented just 21% of CS undergraduate degree recipients.
  African American women represented just 3% and Hispanics 8%
• In 1984 in the USA women accounted for 37% of computer science graduates

Now Consider this:

• Around 50% of CS majors at Carnegie Mellon University are women
• Around 50% of CS majors in the two main Universities in Malaysia are women

Through research, reading, and discussion this course will attempt to answer why these seemingly disparate situations exist. We will explore why women are seriously underrepresented in computing in the USA and many parts of the world, but not in others. We will take a cultural perspective to examine the catalysts and obstacles that influence women’s participation in computing and ask does this really matter? We will examine how participation is influenced by cultral factors: by the media, by stereotypes and bias (explicit and implicit), and by family and peers.

Grading:

Students will be graded on the quality of their performance in 2 quizzes (40% of final grade), and a longer final (35% of final grade). Quiz Dates: Wed. March 30; Wed. April 15; Wed. April 29

Class attendance, presentations and participation are critical to doing well in this course and will count for 25% of the final grade.

Preliminary Syllabus

Some sections* will be based on a new book:
Cracking the Digital Ceiling: Women in Computing Around the World,
editors Carol Frieze and Jeria Quesenberry, Cambridge University Press, November, 2020

Sections:

• Introduction and Overview
• Data and Theories (chapters from the book*)
• What do we mean by Culture? How do we take a cultural perspective?
• Why Diversity Matters in Computing and STEM fields
• USA and Western Perspectives (chapters from the book*)
• The roles of representation: CS Stereotypes and Myths, Explicit and Unconscious Bias
• Countries and Cultures with High Participation of Women in Computing (chapters from the book*)
• Obstacles and Catalysts for the way forward

Team Presentations
Guidelines for Discussion

Potential Readings

• Selected Chapters (available TBA) from Cracking the Digital Ceiling: Women in Computing Around the World,
  Eds. Carol Frieze and Jeria Quesenberry, Cambridge University Press, 2020
• Selected Chapters (available TBA) from Kicking Butt in Computer Science: Women in Computing at Carnegie Mellon University, Carol Frieze and Jeria Quesenberry, Dog Ear Publishing, 2015
• Raymond Williams, “Culture is Ordinary”, originally published in N. McKenzie (ed.), Convictions, 1958 Culture Definitions
• Ross, M. et al. The Intersection of Being Black and Being a Woman: Examining the Effect of Social Computing Relationships on Computer Science Career Choice. ACM Trans. Comput. Educ. 20, 2, Article 9, February, 2020
• Alina Simone, "The 'How Are You?' Culture Clash", The New York Times, Jan. 19, 2014
• "How Computer Science at CMU Is Attracting and Retaining Women", Carol Frieze and Jeria Quesenberry, Communications of the ACM. Feb. 2019, Vol.62 No.2, Pages 23-26, link to CACM
• Google and Gallop study Images of Computer Science, 2015
• Bian, et al. "Gender stereotypes about intellectual ability emerge early and influence children's interests", Science, 2017
• Jon Hamilton, Math Looks The Same In The Brains Of Boys And Girls, Study Finds, by Jon Hamilton, Nov. 8, 2019, NPR
• Alyssa J. Kersey, et al,"Gender similarities in the brain during mathematics development", NPJ, Science of Learning, 2019
• New study examines depictions of computer science in TV and film content, 2017, PHY.ORG, USC Annenberg, School of Communication and Journalism
• Representations of Women STEM Characters in Media Geena Davis Institute for Gender in Media
• McKinsey & Company, "Delivering through Diversity", 2018. Summary and Introduction
• Mathias Wullum Nielsen, Carlson Walter Bloch, and Lond Schiebinger, "Making Gender Diversity work for scientific discovery and innovation", Nature Human Behaviour 2, 726-734, 201
• Fayiq Alghamdi, "Why do female students choose to study CS in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia?", 2017 International Conference on Learning and Teaching in Computing and Engineering, IEEE
• Roli Varma, U.S. Science and Enginering Workforce: Underrepresentation of Women and Minorities,  American Behavioral Scientist, Sage Publications, 2018

• MrKirwan Institute, "State of the Science: Implicit Bias Review", 2016
• WBUR. "How to Fight Racial Bias When it's Silent and Subtle" WBUR,  Public Radio
• Claude Steele, “A Threat in the Air: How Stereotypes Shape Intellectual Identity and Performance”, American Psychologist. Volume: 52. Issue: 6. Page Number: 613. 2003 Dec Vol 95(4) 796-805, 1997.
• Video: Claude Steele: "Whistling Vivaldi and Other Clues to How Stereotypes Affect Us"
• Devine, P.G., Forscher, P.S., Austin, A.J., and & Cox, W.T. "Long Term reduction in implicit race bias: A prejudice habit-breaking intervention". Journal of experimental social psychology, 48(6), 1267-1278, 2013
  

**ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: Important Must Read**

Guidelines for Readings, Presentations and Discussion

Presentations: Be prepared to discuss/present:

-- a brief summary of the paper
-- the main argument/points made by the author
-- the evidence given to support the argument
-- any key words/phrases
-- what questions are raised?
-- what did you learn?
-- what did you find particularly interesting?
-- do you agree/disgree with the argument made by the author?
-- in what way(s) does the paper relate to this class?
-- any other points ....
Points will be added for further information about the country/culture

 

Take care of yourself

Do your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle this semester by eating well, exercising, avoiding drugs and alcohol, getting enough sleep and taking some time to relax. This will help you achieve your goals and cope with stress.

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