Chapter 5 examines the cultural and social contexts identified in past models and how they are incorporated into the new. These contexts and their influencing factors feature strongly in the literature on women in technology and are often blamed for deterring women from choosing IT education or careers. However, it is concluded that in freer societies, their influence is much less than often claimed, and ameliorating interventions are correspondingly ineffective.
I warmly welcome Decade Of Women and all initiatives to promote SDG5 and full gender equality. Closing the gender gap is critical for women’s opportunities, but also for development, prosperity and peace in a broader perspective. Closing the gender gap in the technology sector will be crucial in assuring the highest speed possible in technology development and in assuring that it is used to its full advantage. Liv Tørres - Executive Director, Nobel Peace Center
Cultural and Social contexts feature strongly throughout the literature on women in technology. Given that the majority of research on this topic is in the social science field, it is not surprising that the key factors identified as influencing female participation in computing, often deterring them from choosing future technology education or careers in IT, have tended to have social science roots.
This chapter explores both the cultural and social factors raised in the past research, with each context represented sequentially. But first, to spotlight how cultural and social contexts may be changing themselves at a speed far outpacing the ability of researchers and policy makers to react, let alone direct, it opens with ‘Global Digital Communities’. This focuses on the Decade Of Women, #weunitewe movement launched in 2018.