Diversity in computing

In 2019, women represented 50.8% of the total population of the United States,[14] but made up only 25.6% of computer and mathematical occupations and 27% of computer and information systems manager occupations.[1] African Americans represented 13.4% of the population,[14] but held 8.4% of computer and mathematical occupations.[1] Hispanic or Latino people made up 18.3% of the population,[14] but constituted only 7.5% of the people in these jobs.[1] Meanwhile, white people, standing at 60.4%-76.5% of the population of the United States, represented 67% of computer and mathematical occupations and 77% of computer and information systems manager occupations.[1] Asians, representing 5.9% of the population,[14] held 22% of computer and mathematical jobs and were 14.3% of all computer and information systems managers.[1]

In 2021, women made up 51% of the total population aged 18 to 74 years old, yet only accounted for 35% of STEM occupations. Additionally, while individuals with disabilities made up 9% of the population, they accounted for 3% of STEM occupations. Hispanics, Blacks, and American Indians or Alaska Natives collectively only accounted for 24% of STEM occupations in 2021 while making up 31% of the total population.[2]

In addition to occupational disparities, there are differences in representation in postsecondary science and engineering education. Women earning associate's or bachelor's degrees in science and engineering accounted for approximately half of the total number of degrees in 2020, which was proportional to their share of the population for the age range of 18 – 34 years. In contrast, women only accounted for 46% of science and engineering master's degrees and 41% of science and engineering doctoral degrees. Hispanics, Blacks, and American Indians or Alaska Natives as a group face a similar gap between their share of the population and proportion of degrees earned, with them collectively making up 37% of the college age population in 2021, yet only 26% of bachelor's degrees in science and engineering, 24% of master's degrees in science and engineering, and 16% of doctoral degrees in science and engineering awarded in 2020.[2] On top of the degree gap, data indicates that only 38% of women who major in computer science actually end up working in the computer science field, in contrast to 53% of men.[15]

A 2021 report indicates that approximately 57% of women working in tech responded that have experienced gender discrimination in the workplace in contrast with men, where approximately only 10% reported experiencing gender discrimination. Additionally, 48% of women reported experiencing discrimination over their technical abilities in contrast with only 24% of men reporting the same discrimination. The report also found that 48% of Black respondents indicated that they experienced racial discrimination in the tech workplace. Hispanic respondents followed at 30%, Asian/Pacific Islanders responded at 25%, Asian Indians responded at 23%, and White respondents followed them at 9%.[6]

In a 2022 survey available on Stack Overflow, approximately 2% of all respondents identified either "in their own words" or "transgender." On top of that, approximately 16% of all respondents identified using an option other than "Straight/Heterosexual." Additionally, 10.6% of respondents identified as having a concentration and/or memory disorder, 10.3% identified as having an anxiety disorder, and 9.7% as having a mood or emotional disorder.[16]

When it comes to career mobility, a 2022 report found that there is a gap in promotions given in the tech industry to women in comparison to men. The report found that for every 100 men promoted to manager, only 52 women were given the same promotion.[15]

There are two reported reasons for the lack of participation of women and minorities in the computing sector. The first reason is the lack of early exposure to resources like computers, internet connections and experiences such as computer courses.[5] Research shows that the digital divide acts as a factor; students who do not already have computer skills upon entering college are at a disadvantage in computing majors,[17] and access to computers is influenced by demographics, such as ethnic background.[18] The problem of lack of resources is compounded with lack of exposure to courses and information that can lead to a successful computing career. A survey of students at University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Howard University, two historically black universities, found that the majority of students were not "counseled about computer related careers" either before or during college. The same study (this time only surveying UMES students) found that fewer women than men had learned about computers and programming in high school. The researchers have concluded that these factors could contribute to lower numbers of women and minorities choosing to pursue computing degrees.[19]

Another reported issue that leads to the homogeneity of the computing sector is the cultural issue of discrimination at the workplace and how minorities are treated. For participants to excel in a tech-related course or career, their sense of belonging matters more than pre-gained knowledge. That was reflected in “The Great Resignation” that took place in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a survey of 2,030 workers between the ages of 18 and 28 conducted in July 2021, the company found that 50% said they had left or wanted to their leave tech or IT job “because the company culture made them feel unwelcome or uncomfortable,” with a higher percentage of women and Asian, Black, and Hispanic respondents each saying they had such an experience.[20] In most cases, the workplaces not only lack a sense of belonging but are also unsafe. Research conducted by Dice, a tech career hub, showed that more than 50% of women faced sexual harassment in tech companies.[7] A pilot program that was done to understand different elements that affect minorities during a STEM course showed that increased mentorship and support was an important factor for the completion of the course.  

One of the biggest factors halting the increase of diversity in STEM education is awareness. Many experts feel that increasing awareness is a strong first step towards enacting change at a higher level. One of the most common outreach methods are on campus workshops at colleges. These workshops are effective because they instill awareness into people who are just coming into the field and learning about the field to foster inclusivity. Students leaving a workshop at a West Virginia university reported that they were unaware of the problems facing diverse people in STEM, particularly people with disabilities.[21]

Institutions working to improve diversity in the computing sector are focusing on increasing access to resources and building a sense of belonging for minorities.[14] One organization working toward this goal is EarSketch, an educational coding program that allows users to produce music by coding in JavaScript and Python. Its aim is to spark interest in programming and computer science for a wider range of students and "to attract different demographics, especially girls."[10] The nonprofit Black Girls Code is working to encourage and empower black girls and girls of color to enter the world of computing by teaching them how to code.[11][22] Another way to widen access to resources is by increasing equality in access to computers. Students who use computers in school settings are more likely to use them outside the classroom, so bringing computers into the classroom improves students' computer literacy.[1]

Those who work in the field of education, primarily educators, have a significant impact on how students perceive the fields of engineering and computing, as well as their own capabilities within these fields. According to the American Association of University Women (AAUW), there are several things that teachers can do to cultivate a sense of confidence in underrepresented individuals interested in pursuing an education or career in the field of computing. Some of these things that educators can do are:

1. Emphasize that engineering skills and abilities can be acquired through learning. In other words, emphasize the idea of a growth mindset.
2. Portray obstacles and challenges as universal experiences, rather than indicators of unsuitability for engineering or computing.
3. Increase accessibility to computing for people from diverse backgrounds and reject the notion that some individuals are inherently better suited to the field.
4. Highlight the varied and extensive applications of engineering and computing.
5. Establish inclusive environments for girls in math, science, engineering, and computing where they're encouraged to tinker with technology and develop confidence in their programming and design skills.[13]

Another way for educators to affect change and help to resolve the problem is through certain intervention methods that have shown to have a positive impact on the issue. These can be implemented by institutions rather than individuals and have shown a lot of promise. Of these there are ten that have been heavily researched and are as follows:[12]

1. Summer Bridge: Summer bridge programs are meant to help students from low income families transition to college life and take place between the end of a prospective student's senior year of high school and freshman year of college. Summer bridge programs are meant to help students adjust and get ahead in their college lives.[23]
2. Mentoring: In this program each student must take a mentor that they can trust to help them when they find themselves struggling while also promoting individual successes.[24]
3. Research Experience: Students participate in research on or off campus during their time as an undergraduate. This has been found to greatly increase a student's likelihood of pursuing a graduate degree compared to students who do not participate in research.[25]
4. Tutoring: One of the most common academic intervention methods a student seeks out a knowledgeable individual to provide extra instruction and practice.
5. Career Counseling and Awareness: Having a connection to someone in the field that a student is trying to join is extremely important. If an institution can help to connect students with someone in their prospective career it causes a higher likelihood of that student staying in that field.[26]
6. Learning Center: An on campus learning center is a place where students can go to learn skills that will help them succeed in school in general. Topics like study skills and note taking skills are taught free of charge.
7. Workshops and Seminars: Short Classes and meetings on campus that focus on skills or research work from professors at other universities who are visiting. Workshops can be used to learn knowledge that is outside of the curriculum.
8. Academic Advising: Higher Quality academic advising is a large factor in increasing student retention. If students feel adequately supported and are paced correctly throughout their experience they are much more likely to finish their degree.[27]
9. Financial Support: Giving financial aid to students through merit scholarships or other outside scholarship opportunities has been found to increase retention rates among Students.[28]
10. Curriculum and Instructional Reform: Find and isolate areas of the program that are meant to “weed out” students and refactor them to be challenging but rewarding.[29]

These methods on their own are not enough to adequately increase the diversity of the talent pool but have shown promise as potential solutions. They can be most effective when used in an integrated manner, meaning the more that are studied and utilized the closer to a solution STEM educators will be.[12]

Since workplace discrimination causes lack of diversity in STEM, changing that would increase diversity in the sector. Big tech companies like Microsoft and Facebook are publishing diversity reports and investing in programs to make their companies more diverse.[30]

Additionally, while companies dedicating resources to initiatives designed to promote diversity within their workplaces is a great start, there is more that tech companies can do. The AAUW published a set of proposals for STEM employers to adopt, aimed at enhancing diversity within their organizations:

1. Sustain effective management practices that are equitable, consistent, and promote a healthy work environment.
2. Administer and advocate for diversity and affirmative action policies.
3. Minimize the detrimental effects of gender bias.
4. Foster a sense of inclusion and belonging.
5. Allow employees the opportunity to work on projects or initiatives that have social significance.[13]

• Gender disparity in computing
• Association for Computing Machinery
• Black Girls Code
• Coalition to Diversify Computing
• STEM pipeline
• Women in computing
• EarSketch
• Carrie Anne Philbin

• Coalition for Cultural Diversity Archived 2008-02-19 at the Wayback Machine
• UK Coalition for Cultural Diversity
• Black Girls Code website
• Computer science’s diversity gap starts early
• More Students—But Few Girls, Minorities—Took AP Computer Science Exams
• AP Archived Data 2014
• Top and Bottom Five States for Minorities in Computing