Women Students in Computer Programming: Between Reproduction and New Gender Constructions. The Case of Education and Training at Mid-level Technical in the City of Buenos Aires

Abstract

The article seeks to contribute to the debates about gender (in)equality from the voices of the technical middle level schools’ students. Generally, research focuses on industrial technical education. However, inequalities are as well reproduced and resisted in technology and computer pro- gramming training, in a gender-sensitized society. Why is the presence of women in computer programming training so limited in the City of Buenos Aires? How are gender stereotypes reproduced and/or questioned in this particular education? How does the socio-historical context appear to influence the representations and expectations of young people?

The profuse bibliography on the subject indicates the persistence of gender inequalities in education and employment. However, these processes are not immutable as shown by the extensive installation of gender agendas in Western societies during the last decades. Immutability transfor- mations and disruptive practices coexist and feed back. The article discusses how gender stereotypes are constructed but also questioned, focu- sing on the following dimensions: a) relevance of technical education for men and women; b) reasons for choosing this particular specialty; c) differentiated treatment by teachers and classmates; d) sexual division of labor and e) future expectations. The methodological strategy adopted was triangulation of quantitative and qualitative data, collected based on a sample of three strategically chosen technical-professional schools.