“I’m a necessary piece to the puzzle”: An Intersectional Study of the Computing and IT Workforce

As of 2015, women accounted for 23% of workers in computing and technology occupations compared to 46% in all occupations in the U.S. Many organizations, including the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the White House, aim to support the enrollment and retention of women in technology. Research shows that increasing women’s participation in computing and information technology (IT) is important to technological innovation. However, stereotypes about women's technical capabilities can contribute to negative expectations from managers and coworkers once women enter the computing and IT labor force.

This research explores the sociocultural factors affecting women in the workplace in computing and IT occupations. I employ a mixed-methodological approach using surveys and in-depth interviews with women of color and white women. Women of color experience discrimination similar to that of white women, but these experiences differ due to the intersection of race and gender. Some workplace studies have researched the consequences of women exhibiting anger – a stereotypically masculine trait – but do not address how exhibiting anger is different for women of color. For example, passivity is a sex-based norm for white women. The women of color I interviewed were expected to be vocal and assertive at times, but still felt limited in their authority based on their gender, resulting in feelings of inadequacy. Studying workplace culture regarding gender and race brings to light the myriad of ways that discrimination exists for all women in computing.