Volume 1 Issue 1 16 March 1998

Introduction Gender Inequalities in Education Girls: Just Look Beautiful Teacher of the Year? Hammers Are For Boys and Needles Are For Girls Gender, Computing, and Kids The Gender Gap in the Computing Field Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow Whitmore High School: A Case Study of Computer Usage Part One: The Bright, White Boys' Lunch Club Part Two: Girls and Computer Science Boys Muscle Girls Out Girls Need Space Bennet School Computer Projects for Mother and Daughter Expanding Your Horizons in Math and Science Computers and Technology: Differences In Gender Gender Bias In Educational Software Educational Software For Girls Purple Moon: Thanks but No Thanks for Rockett's New School Girl Tech - Not Girl Friendly Enough Her Interactive Broderbund - Classroom Software Done Right Computers In the Classroom: What is the Effect on the Gender Gap? Beyond Equal Access Last Words About the Authors References

Boys Muscle Girls Out Children at a young age learn that computers and other forms of technology are predominently for boys and men. From research done by M. Griffin in Great Britain it seems that much of this mentality is picked up in the home. He first realized the extent of this misconception when he asked his students about their Christmas gifts: "The problem was brought home to me in a class of 9-10 year olds that I was teaching. All but one of the 26 children in the class said before Christmas that they would like a micro(computer). Most of the children in the school came from affluent homes, and 13 of the 26 children had their wish granted. Twelve of the chosen thirteen were boys. Five of the girls who wanted a micro(computer) but didn't get one said that their brothers (not necessarily older brothers) had got one for Christmas, and that 'sometimes he lets me have a go'. " (Gribbin, pg. 83) Griffin explains that many of his students told him that when they did use computers at home they were taught by Dad, while Mom was cleaning up or cooking dinner. He cites a television commercial that depicts both a mother and a father sharing a computer with their son. Griffin explains that his students did not believe the commercial to be a realistic situation. He claims that, "At the age of nine, children in our society are conditioned to accept that boys and men are the proper users of a computer, that girls might be allowed an occasional touch of the keyboard, and that a woman's job is to feed and care for the men." (Gribbin, 84) On first thought, Griffin concluded that these must be local results and could not be reflective of all of Great Britain. But in a reported survey of 1200 students between the ages of 5 and 11 and roughly split between boys and girls, only 30 out of 109 had access to computers at home. Even more significant then that, children by the age of 9 were already claiming that computers were for boys, mostly because girls couldn't figure out how to work them. One young boy concluded that girls may be better at computers then girls because girls are better typers. Other student responses included the computer is "for boys mostly, but girls can use it" and "the computer can help you with any research...girls couldn't work it." Regardless of where children are picking up these stereotypes, they are learning them at a very young age. It is not a problem specific to the United States as is evident by the above examples from Great Britain. These societal issues must be addressed before these stereotypes can be erased.

Date Last Modified: 3/15/98
© 1998 Huang, Ring, Toich, Torres. All rights reserved.