Diversifying Digital Clubhouses: Creating Pathways of Opportunity for Girls in Games and Technology

• In Event: Digital Equity: Micro- and Macro-Level Perspectives

Abstract

Digital tools and technologies play a critical role in how most people work, play, and connect. The users of technologies such as social networks, professional software programs, learning platforms, and video games are as varied as the technologies themselves. Lacking is an equal diversity among the people who design the digital tools, platforms, and technologies that people use in their day-to-day lives. While women earn more college degrees than men, fewer than one in five of the bachelor’s degrees in Computer and Information Sciences are awarded to women each year (National Center for Women in Technology, 2017).

This paper contributes to the literature on diversity and inclusivity in technology by reporting on research that examines the experiences of women who work in the digital games industry. The goal of this paper is to identify struggles described by women who work in a high technology field, to examine their experiences through the lens of technology identities (Goode, 2010), and finally, to distill findings into practices that educators can utilize to support female students aiming to pursue careers in technology fields.

Data for this study is based on qualitative interviews with 21 participants who work in the digital game industry. Recruited via snowball sampling, participants have diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise. The interview protocol was based on the open interview used in person-centered ethnographic research (Levy and Wellenkamp, 1989; Hollan & Wellenkamp, 1994) and the three-part interview format utilized by Seidman (2013), which aims to identify the meanings that participants ascribe to their experiences. The semi-structured interview protocol was designed to align with the technology identity framework. Interviews consisted of three parts: 1) participants’ education experiences and trajectory to games, 2) participants’ current experiences in the game industry, and 3) participants’ expectations for the future of the industry.

Analysis of the interviews revealed two practices that educators can align their practices to in order to support young women in pursuing education and careers in technology. These include 1) introducing female students to technology as a potential career path earlier in their educational experiences and 2) combatting stereotypes by highlighting that there are many different skills, roles, and pathways that lead to careers in technology fields.

The data from this study suggests that earlier access to resources that encourage girls to develop technology identities could help young women get an earlier start with learning critical skills and building professional networks. These findings align with the technology identify framework, which poses that learners need to believe they are capable of using technology, consider it important, and be motivated to learn more advanced skills. Positive experiences early on have the potential to empower girls not just with technology skills, but also to pave the way for developing identities as technologically competent people who can imagine themselves as leaders in technology fields. By making conscious efforts to reach out to girls and other underrepresented students, educators can contribute to a more connected and creative digital landscape for all.

Author

• Amanda Kay Ochsner, The University of Findlay