Abstract

For the past three decades, the number of females involved in technology-related educational and career opportunities has steadily declined, to the point where women now represent only a small fraction of the tech industry. While this downward trend has been thoroughly researched and publicized, why the technology gender gap exists is less well understood. In an effort to better understand why women are underrepresented in the tech field, original data was collected from nearly 150 undergraduate students at Eastern Kentucky University via an anonymous survey and the results were analyzed and discussed in this project. Also included in this project is a discussion of the facts surrounding gender disparity in the field of technology, possible reasons for the gender gap, consequences that result from a lack of gender parity in the tech industry, and actionable solutions that can be applied by educators and society to help increase female involvement in the field of technology. Relying heavily upon empirical evidence as opposed to conjecture, this study aims to present the research conducted in an accessible and compelling manner. This issue of gender disparity within the field of technology is of great importance, and as technology becomes increasingly prevalent in today’s world, a lack of gender parity within the tech industry affects all people whose lives are influenced by technology.

Semester/Year of Award

Fall 12-8-2014

Mentor

Vigyan Chandra

Mentor Department Affiliation

Applied Engineering and Technology

Access Options

Restricted Access Thesis

Document Type

Bachelor Thesis

Degree Name

Honors Scholars

Degree Level

Bachelor's

Department

Applied Engineering and Technology

IRB Approval Number (if applicable)

IRB00002836

Presentation

https://prezi.com/8zjunb0u733p/gender-disparity-in-the-field-of-technology/

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