Dr. Robert Booker on racism and sexism in America
Sexism in the technology industry manifests in various forms—overt, subtle, and covert occupational sexism—creating a hostile and exclusionary environment for women. This not only diminishes the accessibility and profitability of the sector but also perpetuates a lack of diversity in the technology industry. Despite regional variations, women's representation in the tech field hovers between 4% and 20%, influenced by entrenched gender stereotypes, biased investment decisions, male-dominated work cultures, and a pervasive lack of awareness surrounding sexual harassment. Historical data paints a stark picture: while women earned 37.1% of U.S. computer science degrees in 1984, this figure plummeted to 17.6% by 2011 and has remained stagnant since. Silicon Valley, often lauded as the cradle of technological innovation, has been criticized for failing to address these disparities. Margaret O'Mara, a historian, notes that Silicon Valley's male-dominated oligopoly replicates traditional power structures, marginalizing women, people of color, and other minorities, ultimately reinforcing a…