Sapna Cheryan – Stereotypes as Gatekeepers
When you hear “police officer,” “nurse,” or “computer scientist,” what images comes to mind? Sapna Cheryan wants to challenge your assumption. Her research as an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Washington focuses on how stereotypes influence people’s behavior and decisions, particularly in relation to membership in social groups.
The percentage of biology, chemistry and mathematics degrees pursued by women has increased significantly over the past 35 years, to the point where women earn more than half of all chemistry and biology degrees and approximately 45% of mathematics degrees. However, the number of women earning computer science degrees lags significantly. Women showed a surge of interest in the field in the early 1980s, but it is now declining. Women continue to achieve roughly 20% of all computer science degrees, about the same percentage as in 1975.
Why is this an issue? For one, it’s critical to have a diverse workforce, both to create a rich office culture and because people who work in the tech industry shape the future of computer design. Computer science jobs are lucrative and flexible, and many women are missing out on these opportunities.
Women are socialized away from technology from an early age. One explanation is that the “nerd-factor” is so pervasive: the thick glasses, the pocket protector, the ever-present bottle of Mountain Dew and the mastery of Klingon — it’s no wonder girls do not want to work with computers, though real computer scientists often do not in any way resemble the nerd model. Contrast the software engineer with another gender-based stereotype, the nurse, which has strong female connotations. Nurses are warm, nurturing, in some cases sexy, and always, always female. (Another stereotype; about 6% of the nurses in the U.S. are male.)
Stereotypes are defined as pictures in the head. These perceptions start in childhood, in picture books. These images have strong gender correlation.
So how can we change a stereotype? Environment is an ideal place to start. Many tech companies fit the nerdy male stereotype; the office is strewn with soda cans, nerf guns, and comfy couches to crash on. However, places like Microsoft, Google and the computer science department at the University of Washington project more gender-neutral images. The computer science department at UW has a higher percentage of women students than many other institutions, forming the hypothesis that starting off with an environment that doesn’t look stereotypical may draw more women in.
To test this theory, Sapna set up two model classrooms at Stanford University. One room had the stereotypical computer science accessories: Star Trek Posters on the wall, Sci-fi books, soda cans. The other classroom was decorated with nature posters, neutral books, and water bottles. Students entered each room and answered a series of questions about computer science. The results were not surprising: women by far preferred the neutral room to the stereotypical room– 66% as opposed to 34%.
However, what is it about these objects that make women feel they don’t belong there in the first place? The objects are closely tied with masculinity, which colors their preferences. The tech geek image correlates with 80s movies, such as “Revenge of the Nerds,” “Weird Science,” and “Real Genius,” which shaped popular perception of computer science.
Our opinions on what’s in our surroundings influence our opinion of our surroundings; this “ambient belonging” gives us a sense of whether or not we feel comfortable in our environment based on what’s there.
Fortunately, stereotypes are malleable: media, environment and education can broaden the current computer science image to attract more people to the field.
–Helen Pitlick
