By: Tiandra Best CSCE 390 Spring ‘11

Synopsis  According to David Schepp, a journalist for USA today, statistics remain that there are an overwhelming amount of men outnumbering women in the field of computing and technology, as well as holding jobs pertaining to such. Studies have shown that this may be the cause of lack of examples, early childhood discouragement, and simply a lack of interest. This is seen as a problem to many, especially those who have pursued careers in this field.  women-jobs_N.htm women-jobs_N.htm  “Women Still Trail in Tech Jobs” article from ACM News

Ethical Decision- Making Process Step 1 Step 3  A problem exists, but not a dilemma. It is an ethical/ professional problem and the nature of the problem is more global than specific. Step 2  Of everyone involved, rights and welfare are in question being that there is conflict on a group that obtains freedom. The best way to promote those who are targeted in the conflict is to simply serve awareness that everyone has freedom of choice and can chose their decisions regardless of influences. A collaborative climate provided could be one in which females are able to be exposed to various aspects of computing and technology aside from computer games which are geared more toward males, which will then provide a broad range of technology ability, and they have an open mind toward their opinion of career choice.  There aren’t any guidelines or by-laws that pertain to the conflict at hand, it is simply a matter of personal interest or lack thereof. The law states a freedom of speech and opinion and that is what should be given without heavy persuasion or influences. There is no law that states a certain amount of women have to pursue careers in computer technology, but there are policies that encourage diversity among the workplace including in computer technology fields. Step 4  Various policies of companies that may insist on having a certain amount of women employed for the sake of diversity does have a bearing on the situation, but there is nothing a company can do if there are no women to hire because none have studied in the specific field.

Continued…. Step 5 Step 7  To obtain consultation with professionals that deal with these issues, connecting with a philosopher, psychologist, colleagues, or therapist, may be great choices. Consulting with a colleague could result in support of the need for more women in the computing and technology field, because they simply understand. Asking basic opinions and feedback on how to improve the situation alongside luring more females are topics in discussion. It is always better to consult those who may have different outlooks and perspectives, preferably those who have no connection to computing and technology. The consultations that take place can be very useful in strategically testing a group of younger females to see how a different approach of introduction would affect them versus what we have seen thus far. When testing, those who are being tested should be blinded to the test. Step 6  Documenting on everything that has taken place and every discussion that has occurred, would provide enough information to effectively test subjects and observe the reaction. Those who have already been affected by this issue can be used to efficiently follow through with a strategy and thoroughly weigh out options in case of dilemma.  The consequences of implementing a strategic course of action can be detrimental to the effects of a study, but it also provides more information on actions to stay away from. There are no real personal consequences that can take place in testing theories, only more information that will show what or what not to do. Step 8  Carefully considering all research and provided information from all sources, the best course of action would have to be to test younger girls, survey them, expose them to other computer attributes besides computer games, and to fully inform them of everything that the computer and technology field offers. The input of those who may be affected or have strong passion for the cause can certainly be useful in conveying the message. Every action should be taken into consideration from more than one person and should have others opinions on the matter. Further action may be necessary, and some should gladly be available to implement the same simulation to create a wider range of awareness of what women are trying to accomplish by persuading others to join the computing and technology team.

ACM CODE  Applying the ACM code of ethics, several ethical guidelines stand out, including those that state “be fair and take action not to discriminate", and “Improve public understanding of computing and its consequences”. Showing women/girls the different abilities of computing and technology will greatly impact the increase or decrease in the amount of women pursuing careers in these fields. It should be a fair opportunity for males and females and initial exposure to computing should not gear toward one particular group. By improving the public understanding, conflicts as such are less likely to arise in the future.