Reading 04 — Diversity

I agree that there is a diversity problem within the tech industry. It’s unfortunate that this is still such a big issue today. When I first started reading more about this issue I came in with a couple ideas already formed in my head. I had heard about the lack of diversity in the tech industry, but I always thought a big part of that was due to the fact that there simply is not a lot of diversity in the field as a whole. I mean, when I look around in my classes, most of my peers are white males. I would imagine it is like this in many other tech-related majors at other Universities as well. Judging from this, it would make sense that many tech companies are dominated by white males. In an ideal world where everyone is starting from a level playing field no matter who they are, this would just be due to the fact that white males are more interested in tech jobs. However, we are not dealing with an ideal world, which is why we need to discuss some of the reasons why there is such a lack of diversity.

One issue that contributes to this problem is that not everyone gets to start on a level playing field. Many of us at Notre Dame were fortunate enough to have computers, iPads, and other gadgets around the house since we were young which can spark the initial interest that causes us to want to study Computer Science. However, there are many kids who don’t have that luxury. This puts them at a disadvantage because they may not be introduced the field early enough to join the workforce. I suppose this comes back to the privilege issue we have already discussed, so I won’t spend more time on it here. Another reason for the lack of diversity is the fact that many times women and minorities don’t feel comfortable in the workplace because of harassment and discrimination. Sarah Emerson states in her article that almost half of women in male dominated STEM environments are affected by sexual harassment, and 62 percent of blacks (men and women), 44 percent of Asians, and 42 percent of Hispanics reported racially-motivated discrimination. This is in stark contrast to just 13 percent of whites who have experienced racial discrimination. These unfortunate findings are simply unacceptable. The efforts to encourage more women and minorities to participate in STEM fields from a younger age, while necessary, not as effective if the women and minorities who enter the workforce are driven away for something that has nothing to do with their programming ability. Now to be fair, this is not just a problem with the tech industry, it is society as a whole that still struggles to treat everyone equally.

Overall, I think some of the underlying issues that cause this lack of diversity are out of the hands of the major tech companies that are taking the brunt of the blame. White privilege, sexual harassment, and racial discrimination are societal problems that everyone needs to continue to fight to eradicate. Until then, I think the efforts that many big companies are making to introduce women and minorities to the STEM field are necessary, as well as ensuring that no one is mistreated in the workplace so that everyone can work together without having to worry about non-work related discrimination or harassment.