Abstract:

Most countries’ policy in the field of gender, ICT and education has based their planned or running activities on stereotyped views on males and females, assuming that girls are falling behind the boys in the field of ICT, both in schools, in higher education and as professionals. These activities are rooted in an out dated view of gender. The situation is reconized even in countries where several efforts have been made in order to motivate women to become ICT professionals, like in the Nordic countries. Why is it so?

This paper elaborated on the gender issue historically, by looking at shifts in our understandings on what counts as computing and how gender has related to it in various ways. Such an approach might help us to understand the process that has lead to the dominant assumption which confirms the existence of a natural connection between men and computing, and consquently leaves the girls behind. Howver, today the situation is more complex; even if stereotypes in girls and boys attitudes and behavior towards ICT are confirmed, there are also girls and boys who do not necessarily relate themselves to this picture. Moreover, the emergence of social media apparently attracts girls widely, and these practices might give new motivations for choosing ICT as educational pathways and careers. It would therefore not be right to say that the girls are lagging behind the boys when it comes to ICT anymore; girls are active producers and consumers of ICT; it is just that most of them are concerned with other tools and devices than boys. Moreover, whenever contesting that the girls are falling behind the boys, this would mean to hold on to the assumption that the boys use and interest still represent the norm.

The methodological approach is based on desk research, as well as expert and country consultation. The main tools were: A research review, summarizing the existing evidence regarding the relevance of the gender issue in the area of technology in education and two expert meetings.

Keywords:

ICT, gender, computing, stereotypes, social media.