Cindy Ramirez
Major/Minor: Software Engineering / Writing and Rhetorical Studies
Title: Gender Gap in Computer Science: An Invitational Rhetorical Analysis
Abstract: Even though computers were not yet invented, women have contributed to the field of computer science beginning in the 19th century. Considered the world’s first programmer, Ada Lovelace pioneered modern computer science concepts (1843), including concepts we use today, like variables and looping (Scully, 2016). Grace Hopper, an American computer scientist and U.S. Navy Rear Admiral, invented the first compiler for a computer programming language. While many women played important roles in computer science, the statistics of women majoring in computer science have declined. Although the 1980s saw the growth of personal computers in U.S homes, the number of women in computer science began to decrease (National Center for Education Statistics). These early computers were marketed as toys for males. With the media catering to males, movies like Weird Science and Revenge of the Nerds established a male environment and a "geek” culture in the field of computer science. In this study, I address the gender gap in computer science through a discourse analysis of materials used to attract young girls to the field. Applying Invitational Rhetoric, Foss and Griffin’s feminist rhetorical theory, I determine how rhetoric is used to attract or possibly dissuade young women from entering computer science. Conducting a literature review on the gender gap in computer science, researching statistics on women’s graduation rates in STEM fields, and identifying recurring themes such as stereotypes, grounded this study to show why women do not major in computer science. The findings provide a new understanding of the gender gap in computer science and provide specific rhetorical techniques to eliminate this gap.
