Bind and Double Bind: Media Images of Women in Computing

Despite greater knowledge about gender (in)equality issues, women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are still largely portrayed in stereotypical ways in the media. We sought to uncover what both academic research and mainstream US and UK media communicate relative to the topic of women in STEM, in general, and women in computing, in particular. The notion of image centers about the theoretical framework of identity work which influences personas and stereotypes associated with those under-represented in the field. Our literature review points to a general media depiction of women in STEM as the likeness of males, and those in computing as masculine and asocial. These perceptions have been found to influence educational fields of matriculation, research priorities, career decisions as well as career trajectories. Both the academy and industry will continue to face workforce and research pipeline fractures with bias images and perceptions of who participates and ultimately succeeds in the field. We conclude that image, language and social construction can serve as barriers, yet offer the opportunity to reshape the identity narrative of women in computing.