Brutalism, Bad Manners, and Tech Baddies: Strengthening Women’s Sense of Belonging in Undergraduate Computer Science Spaces

Through a literature review supported by reflexive vignettes, this thesis explores women’s experiences in undergraduate CS programs and how physical and discursive spaces may affect their sense of belonging and shape whether they enter, remain in, or leave CS programs. I provide historical and cultural context for undergraduate CS, including the history of women in education and the continued underrepresentation of women in CS compared to many other STEM fields. Using physical and discursive spaces as a lens, I examine how classrooms, study spaces, department communications, online forums, and other CS-related environments may signal who belongs, who is valued, and whose presence is expected. To connect the literature to lived experience, I include reflexive vignettes from my own experience as a woman in an undergraduate CS program. Finally, I propose potential solutions intended to support women’s belonging, participation, and success, including more women-centered spaces in CS programs, more tailored training for instructors on how to guide group work, and more women students and faculty in leadership positions.