Why Women Avoid Computer Science: The Influence of a Negative Stereotype

The gender gap in Computer Science is a well-known problem in the United States and many other countries of the world.Researchers have identified a number of factors contributing to the lack of attraction toward CS among women.One such factor is the "geek"/"nerd" stereotype associated with people in this field; a computer scientist is typically considered to be socially awkward and not fun to be around.Young women do not want to choose a career path where they would be surrounded by such people, and more importantly, they don't want to become one of them.In this paper we discuss certain social behaviors of some people in computing, both men and women, that contribute to the perception of a "computer geek" as a socially inept person.Recognizing and accepting the truth behind negative aspects of the stereotype, as opposed to ignoring or denying them, will help us get to the root of the problem and find effective solutions for it.In the conclusion, as a step toward changing this perception, we propose adding a required Social Skills and Etiquette course for computing majors in universities.