tl;dr Diverse representation within computer science matters.
Stock images, clip art, and textbook examples affect us in subtle and perhaps unconscious ways. They dictate who we expect to see in certain roles. They even influence which roles we see ourselves assuming.
When we rely on one default representation, we create a box for ourselves from which it is difficult to break free. We become unable to see others in a specific role and if we do not meet this default representation, we may become unable to see ourselves in that role.
A variety of representation can help to fix this. As we begin to represent different people in different roles, more people are able to assume these roles without question. Not only are we able to accept different types of people, we broaden our own opportunities and can place ourselves in more roles.
There are two stories here. The first story shows how not meeting a default representation for a role can be harmful. The second story provides an example of how little changes can expand the types of people who we accept in computer science.
Default: Not Me
When I was an undergrad in a programming class, I was 1 out of ~3 girls in a ~50 people class. While explaining a concept, the professor decided to use me for an example.
What would you like to be when you grow up? A fashion designer?
No! I wasn’t taking this class for fashion design. I told him I wanted to be a software engineer. This isn’t to degrade those in fashion; the point is that I did not fall within the default representation for a software engineer. Even my presence in an advanced programming class was not enough to let him see me in that role.
This incident made me angry, but also devalued the presence of the other two girls in that class. The professor’s response, while not intentionally malicious, reinforced the idea that I didn’t belong in that room, both to me and everyone else in that room.
Maria and John
A few years later, I was the teaching assistant for another programming class.
“Okay, so let’s set occupation to be software engineer, our first name to be Maria and let’s set her last name as Gomez,” I said.
A student piped up, “Do you have something against John Smith?”
I replied, “No. I just think John has got enough attention over the years, and maybe it’s Maria’s turn.”
There are lots of things we can do to increase the representation of diverse people in computer science. We can change the names in the examples we use. We can find and use diverse clip art in our PowerPoint slides. We can use stock photos featuring under-represented groups. These little actions let us see ourselves and others as software engineers or fashion designers.
