Why aren't more girls 'geeks'?

There are if your country insists on maths and science studies, report shows

Robert Jaques

The overwhelming majority of university computer science graduates are male, according to a newly published study which monitored universities in 21 countries.

However the report, which was coauthored by Maria Charles, professor of sociology at the University of California, San Diego, and Karen Bradley of Western Washington University, found significant country-to-country differences in the gender gap that imply "much more than genetics is at work".

Advertisement

"Restrictive government practices that minimise choice and prioritise merit may actually result in more gender-neutral distribution across fields of study, " the researchers stated.

Charles and Bradley analysed data compiled in 2004 by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on higher education degrees awarded in 2001. Examining seven fields of study, including engineering and maths/physical sciences, Charles and Bradley calculated representation factors for each country by comparing male-to-female ratios in these subjects to those same ratios in other academic disciplines.

They found, as expected, that on the whole women predominate in such traditionally female-typed fields as education and health, and lag behind in stereotypically masculine fields. In computer science, females are under-represented in all 21 of the industrialised countries considered.

They also found that the extent of the difference in male-to-female ratios varies a great deal. Males are over-represented among computer science graduates by a minimum factor of 1.79 in Turkey, and a maximum factor of 6.42 in the Czech Republic.

In the United States, the "male over-representation factor" is 2.10 and in the United Kingdom, 3.10.

"The ubiquity of women's under-representation attests to the persistence of deep-seated and widely shared beliefs that men and women are naturally different and that they are suited for different occupations," Charles said.

"But the fact that there's so much cross-national variability suggests there's lots of room for country-specific cultural and social influences to play out."

There is little evidence, though, Charles added, for standard arguments of social evolution: the most economically developed countries do not produce the greatest numbers of women in computer science. Nor is there a strong correlation with more women in the workforce or in high-status jobs or in higher education generally.

Girls' higher maths achievement does not equate with better representation in stereotypically male fields, the researchers found.

Broad cultural support for equal opportunity is also not a good predictor. None of the study's highest-scoring nations ­ Turkey, South Korea and Ireland ­ the authors noted, is particularly known for gender-egalitarian attitudes or practices.

"There is no doubt that collective beliefs that men are naturally 'better' at maths and science are major factors that influence women's choices of college majors ­ and determine the climate in maths and science programmes worldwide," Charles said.

"When we emphasise choice and hold up self-realisation as an educational goal, girls will often freely choose poorly paid, female-typed fields of study that are in line with a conventional feminine identity and stereotypes about what girls are good at," she added.

What countries with the best female representation in computer science seem to have in common, Charles and Bradley observed, are governments that "exert strong control over curricular trajectories" and require substantial maths and science coursework.

The policy implications, Charles said, are clear: "Rather than letting people take what they expect to love (or expect to be good at), educational systems should insist on more maths and science for all students."

  • Have your say
  • Send to a friend
  • Print
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Share

Tags:

Do you agree?

Further reading

Women on the verge

Research shows that the number of female directors in the FTSE-100 has topped 100 for the first time, but top-level positions such as chief executive are still male-dominant roles.

What women want

With women controlling a larger portion of online spending than men, it's time to learn how to meet their expectations

Women missing out on pensions

Women are losing out when it comes to pensions, with the prospect of young women having as little cash in their old age as their great grandmothers did.

Women say the funniest things

Thomas Moore’s birthday Yesterday I read a report claiming the number of women buying PC security software is increasing by 11.2 per...

Related whitepapers

Related jobs

Most watched

Summit: Salesforce.com on SaaS and information overload

How web services contribute to data headaches

V3.co.uk weekly debrief, 13 Nov 09

This week we discuss the inaugural V3.co.uk Summit

Analysis and Reports

Remote access - Three steps to getting connected

3.4 million UK professionals now work from home – is your company equipped?

Cost benefits of a global collaboration network

This white paper is a must read for organisations looking for evidence of the bottom-line benefits of high-definition video and voice communications

Poll

Impact of Information Overload poll

Impact of Information Overload poll

What is the biggest problem your firm faces as a result of the data explosion?

View poll results

Advertisement

White paper library

Keep up to date with the latest products, services and technologies from the world's leading IT companies; IThound.com brings you over 6,000 white papers, case studies and analyst reports.

Advertisement

Newsletter signup

Sign up for our range of FREE newsletters:

Existing User

Newsletter user login:

Enter email address to edit your newsletter preferences

Job of the week

Search thousands of IT jobs :

Search thousands of IT jobs:

Advanced search

Hiring now on ComputingCareers:

Related IT jobs

Search thousands of IT jobs :

Search thousands of IT jobs:

Advanced search

Advertisement

Spotlight

V3.co.uk weekly debrief, 13 Nov 09

This week we discuss the inaugural V3.co.uk Summit

Fingers on keyboard

New Flash vulnerability discovered

Web sites could be vulnerable to Flash attacks

Chris Adams

Summit: Microsoft Office to the rescue

Chris Adams, Office Client product manager for Microsoft UK, explains...

Illegal downloader

Industry and human rights campaigners united in opposition to "three strikes" plan

Critics says government proposals to curb illegal downloading are unworkable...

Primary Navigation