In Rethinking the ‘problem of gender and IT schooling: discourses in literature Abbiss(2008) reviews and challenges past and current discourse around the ‘problem’ of the gender divide in IT.
Abbiss begins with a review of liberal equity discourses[1] of IT by showing historically the way gender differences in computer use move from being thought about as a result of gender differences in attitude about computing (girls not liking and boys liking computers)[2] towards differences in learning and teaching orientation[3] where teachers, for example, “are seen to discourage females from participating... and to reinforce masculine computing culture”.[4] These actions on the part of the teacher and consequent reflective behaviours in the student account then for boys, for example, being seen, according to Turkle as “hard masters”, who dominate and impose their “will” over computers and girls being seen as “soft masters” , being more intuitive and interactive—artists who work with their materials.[5]
In order to challenge these particular ways of thinking about girls and IT Abbiss counters with theories of agency, articulating the ways in which girls may actually be saying ‘I can, but I don’t want to”[6] when it comes to computing practices that don’t appeal to their needs or desires. She argues that girls may choose based on “self-interest” what they want to do with a computer versus thinking about them as “lacking confidence or self-efficacy.”[7]
[1] Abbis, Jane (2008). Rethinking the Problem of Gender and IT Schooling: Discourses in Literature. Gender & Education. P161
[2] Ibid p.155
[3] Ibid p.155
[4] Ibid p. 156
[5] Ibid p.155
[6] Ibid p.158
[7] Ibid p.158
Bibliography
Abbis, Jane (2008). Rethinking the Problem of Gender and IT Schooling: Discourses in Literature. Gender & Education, 20,2,153-165.
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