Re: A clarification from the one who equated math w/computers

[Janet Valade <jvalade -at- JUPITER -dot- CALSTATELA -dot- EDU>]

>> One thing that should be cleared up is the difference between
>> "computer" classes, which I interpret to mean classes in using
>> software, and "computer science" classes.  I still argue that
>> the same types of persons who are attracted to math are attracted
>> to computer science.  I would surmise that it has to do with

stuff deleted

>        I think this stuff is changing, but slowly.  Changes in the
>real techie fringes, like computer science, will either lag behind
>until mainline cultural changes filter out there, or forge ahead,
>leading the change.

I think when discussing gender and computing majors, we need to look
at the focus of the major.  I think perhaps that not all computing
majors have the same focus.

A few years ago (actually close to ten, I guess), I performed an analysis of
students at our university looking at (among other things) gender and
computer majors.  At our campus, there are two majors which are computer
majors.  One is computer science; the other is a business major with an
Information Systems emphasis.  The computer science major is (or was then)
clearly directed towards jobs in aero-space, with math and FORTRAN required.
The IS major is clearly MIS.

I found that while females were far less likely than males to major in
Computer Science, females were just as likely as males to major in IS.  In
fact, if you looked at the business majors separately, the females were more
likely than the males to major in IS.  Males were more likely to major in
Management.

I think there are many variables to the discussion of gender and computing.

Janet