Open Source Bridge - Keynote - Programming Diversity

It's been scientifically proven that more diverse communities and workplaces create better products and the solutions to difficult problems are more complete and diverse themselves. Companies are struggling to find adequate talent. So why do we see so few women, people of color, and LGBTQ people at our events and on the about pages of our websites? Even more curiously, why do 60% of women leave the tech industry within 10 years? Why are fewer women choosing to pursue computer science and related degrees than ever before? Why have stories of active discouragement, dismissal, harassment, or worse become regular news?
In this talk we’ll examine the causes behind the lack of diversity in our communities, events, and workplaces. We’ll discuss what we can do as community members, event organizers, and co-workers to not only combat this problem, but to encourage positive change by contributing to an atmosphere of inclusivity.

Objectives:
Educate about the lack of diversity and why it is a problem
Examine what is contributing to both the pipeline issue as well as attrition
Isolate what is and isn't working
Inspire direct action by examining our own behavior and learning more about the people around us so we can empathize better

Transcript

1. @ashedryden
   Programming
   Diversity
   

   View Slide

2. @ashedryden
   Ashe Dryden
   @ashedryden
   ashedryden.com
   

   View Slide

3. @ashedryden
   What is Diversity?
   

   View Slide

4. @ashedryden
   more than gender
   

   View Slide

5. @ashedryden
   various backgrounds,
   experiences, and
   lifestyles
   

   View Slide

6. @ashedryden
   not always visible
   

   View Slide

7. @ashedryden
   race
   gender
   sexuality ability
   language
   appearance
   physical &
   mental health
   age
   socioeconomic
   class
   and more!
   

   View Slide

8. @ashedryden
   Intersectionality
   the interactions of biological,
   social, and cultural traits
   contributing to systemic
   inequality
   

   View Slide

9. @ashedryden
   race
   gender
   ability
   physical &
   mental health
   socioeconomic
   class
   

   View Slide

10. @ashedryden
    in the US, women on average
    earn 80.9% of what men do
    Source: ABC: How to end the wage gap between men and
    women, http:/
    /abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/News/women-
    make-men/story?id=18702478#.UZt3yitASqk
    

    View Slide

11. @ashedryden
    but Latina women earn
    59.3% of what white men do
    Source: ABC: How to end the wage gap between men and
    women, http:/
    /abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/News/women-
    make-men/story?id=18702478#.UZt3yitASqk
    

    View Slide

12. @ashedryden
    the unemployment rate in
    the US is ~7.5%
    Source: High Rate of Unemployment for the Blind, http:/
    /
    work.chron.com/high-rate-unemployment-blind-14312.html
    

    View Slide

13. @ashedryden
    the unemployment rate for
    the blind is 70-75%
    Source: High Rate of Unemployment for the Blind, http:/
    /
    work.chron.com/high-rate-unemployment-blind-14312.html
    

    View Slide

14. @ashedryden
    Privilege
    unearned advantages a person
    gets for a perceived trait they
    possess, putting them in the
    “normal” or “default” group
    

    View Slide

15. @ashedryden
    Better Education
    Access to Technology at an Earlier Age
    Higher Pay
    Assumed Competency
    Quality of Social/Professional Network
    Seen as Skill Set Instead of Traits
    Easily Fit Into/Identify with Subculture
    

    View Slide

16. @ashedryden
    Stereotype Threat
    anxiety or concern where a
    person has the potential to
    confirm a negative stereotype
    about their social group
    

    View Slide

17. @ashedryden
    Source: xkcd, How it Works: http:/
    /xkcd.com/385/
    

    View Slide

18. @ashedryden
    Impostor Syndrome
    a psychological phenomenon in
    which people are unable to
    internalize their
    accomplishments
    

    View Slide

19. @ashedryden
    this is especially pronounced
    when negative stereotypes
    exist about a group a person
    is in
    

    View Slide

20. @ashedryden
    less likely to apply for
    certain jobs
    

    View Slide

21. @ashedryden
    less likely to submit a talk to
    a conference
    

    View Slide

22. @ashedryden
    less likely to attend to a
    conference
    

    View Slide

23. @ashedryden
    Marginalized
    Someone pushed to the edge of
    a group and accorded lesser
    importance; a minority or sub-
    group being excluded, their
    needs or desires being ignored.
    

    View Slide

24. @ashedryden
    society teaches us to
    do this to everyone
    within marginalized
    groups
    

    View Slide

25. @ashedryden
    “I’m different. I’m
    logical and rational;
    I don’t see gender or
    race.”
    

    View Slide

26. @ashedryden
    Source: Moss-Racusin, et al. Science faculty’s subtle gender
    biases favor male students, 2012
    scientists & STEM
    professors do this to
    other scientists &
    STEM professors
    

    View Slide

27. @ashedryden
    even marginalized
    people do it to
    people within their
    same social groups
    

    View Slide

28. @ashedryden
    How diverse is the
    tech industry?
    

    View Slide

29. @ashedryden
    Women make up
    24% of the industry
    Source: FLOSSPOLS - Gender Integrated Report Findings
    

    View Slide

30. @ashedryden
    ...but only 1.5-3% of
    OSS contributors
    Source: FLOSSPOLS - Gender Integrated Report Findings
    

    View Slide

31. @ashedryden
    Source: Mercury News. Blacks, Latinos, and Women lose ground
    in tech companies, 2011
    Women
    Hispanic
    Black
    Asian
    White
    0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
    Tech Industry
    US Population
    Tech Industry vs US Population
    

    View Slide

32. @ashedryden
    Lack of Diversity is a
    Global Problem
    

    View Slide

33. @ashedryden
    India
    8% of CS students
    Source: Anita Borg Institute, State of Women in Technology
    Fields Around the World
    

    View Slide

34. @ashedryden
    US
    17% of CS students
    Source: Anita Borg Institute, State of Women in Technology
    Fields Around the World
    

    View Slide

35. @ashedryden
    UK
    18.2% of CS students
    Source: Anita Borg Institute, State of Women in Technology
    Fields Around the World
    

    View Slide

36. @ashedryden
    France
    20% of CS students
    Source: Anita Borg Institute, State of Women in Technology
    Fields Around the World
    

    View Slide

37. @ashedryden
    Brazil
    20% of CS students
    Source: Anita Borg Institute, State of Women in Technology
    Fields Around the World
    

    View Slide

38. @ashedryden
    South Africa
    25% of CS students
    Source: Anita Borg Institute, State of Women in Technology
    Fields Around the World
    

    View Slide

39. @ashedryden
    “Maybe women just
    aren’t interested in
    programming.”
    

    View Slide

40. @ashedryden
    “Or maybe women
    aren’t biologically
    predisposed to
    programming.”
    

    View Slide

41. @ashedryden
    no physical or biological
    difference
    

    View Slide

42. @ashedryden
    purely social and cultural
    constructs
    

    View Slide

43. @ashedryden
    Bulgaria
    73% of CS students
    Source: Anita Borg Institute, State of Women in Technology
    Fields Around the World
    

    View Slide

44. @ashedryden
    Diversity Matters
    

    View Slide

45. @ashedryden
    Diversity Matters
    to businesses
    

    View Slide

46. @ashedryden
    sales revenue,
    number of customers,
    market share, and
    profits relative to
    competitors
    increase
    Source: Does Diversity Pay?, Cedric Herring, AMERICAN
    SOCIOLOGICAL REVIEW, 2009, VOL. 74 (April:208–224)
    

    View Slide

47. @ashedryden
    solve complex
    problems
    better and faster
    Source: Scott Page, The difference: How the power of diversity
    creates better groups, firms, schools, and societies. Princeton
    University Press, 2009
    

    View Slide

48. @ashedryden
    more creative &
    stimulated through
    persistent exposure to
    minority perspectives
    Source: Charlan Jeanne Nemeth, Differential Contributions of
    Majority and Minority Influence.
    

    View Slide

49. @ashedryden
    make better
    decisions,
    generate more
    innovation
    Source: Caroline Simard, Ph.D., Obstacles and Solutions for
    Underrepresented Minorities in Technology, at 8, Anita Borg Institute
    for Women and Technology (2009)
    

    View Slide

50. @ashedryden
    financial success and
    viability of a company
    are directly related to
    the makeup of its teams
    

    View Slide

51. @ashedryden
    Diversity Matters
    to society
    

    View Slide

52. @ashedryden
    heal the issue of
    unequal pay and
    opportunity
    

    View Slide

53. @ashedryden
    create class mobility
    

    View Slide

54. @ashedryden
    the wage gap is
    smaller in STEM
    fields
    

    View Slide

55. @ashedryden
    in tech women earn
    about 87% of what
    men do
    

    View Slide

56. @ashedryden
    Why the lack of
    diversity?
    

    View Slide

57. @ashedryden
    Pipeline
    

    View Slide

58. @ashedryden
    Cultural Cues
    

    View Slide

59. @ashedryden
    difference in toys and
    games for boys and girls
    

    View Slide

60. @ashedryden
    no famous role models
    that represent them
    

    View Slide

61. @ashedryden
    Access to
    Technology
    

    View Slide

62. @ashedryden
    on average, men get
    access to their first
    computer at 11
    

    View Slide

63. @ashedryden
    women get access to their
    first computer at 14
    

    View Slide

64. @ashedryden
    lower computer
    ownership rates and
    broadband adoption
    

    View Slide

65. @ashedryden
    adopting smart phones
    at a much higher rate
    

    View Slide

66. @ashedryden
    Access to
    Quality Education
    

    View Slide

67. @ashedryden
    what is the greatest
    indicator of earning
    potential?
    

    View Slide

68. @ashedryden
    lower quality math and
    science programs
    

    View Slide

69. @ashedryden
    Access to
    healthcare
    

    View Slide

70. @ashedryden
    women are more likely
    to be caregivers
    

    View Slide

71. @ashedryden
    less access to quality
    healthcare
    

    View Slide

72. @ashedryden
    Attraction
    

    View Slide

73. @ashedryden
    Lack of Role Models
    

    View Slide

74. @ashedryden
    less likely to see people
    like them represented in
    companies and
    conferences
    

    View Slide

75. @ashedryden
    Geek Stereotype
    

    View Slide

76. @ashedryden
    people who don’t identify
    and aren’t represented by
    the geek stereotype are
    turned off by impression
    of someone who
    represents the stereotype
    Source: Enduring Influence of Stereotypical Computer Science Role
    Models on Women’s Academic Aspirations, Cheryan 2012
    

    View Slide

77. @ashedryden
    Attrition
    

    View Slide

78. @ashedryden
    56% of women leave
    tech within 10 years
    Source: NCWIT, 2012
    

    View Slide

79. @ashedryden
    that’s twice the
    attrition rate of men
    

    View Slide

80. @ashedryden
    harassment
    

    View Slide

81. @ashedryden
    people in a marginalized
    group are twice as likely
    to report being harassed
    or mistreated
    

    View Slide

82. @ashedryden
    “I’ve never seen
    someone get
    harassed.”
    

    View Slide

83. @ashedryden
    discrimination
    

    View Slide

84. @ashedryden
    pay,
    advancement,
    job offers
    

    View Slide

85. @ashedryden
    men are 2.7 times more likely
    than women to be promoted to
    a high-ranking job, such as vice
    president or senior manager
    Source: Mercury News 2010, http:/
    /www.mercurynews.com/
    ci_14382477
    

    View Slide

86. @ashedryden
    Myriad Solutions
    

    View Slide

87. @ashedryden
    Change Starts with
    Us
    

    View Slide

88. @ashedryden
    Education is the
    Trojan Horse to
    Empathy
    

    View Slide

89. @ashedryden
    Get to know people
    different than us
    

    View Slide

90. @ashedryden
    Understand that bias
    and discrimination
    are often subtle
    

    View Slide

91. @ashedryden
    Learn to Apologize
    

    View Slide

92. @ashedryden
    Advocate for Change
    

    View Slide

93. @ashedryden
    Talk about these
    issues openly
    

    View Slide

94. @ashedryden
    “That’s not cool :(”
    

    View Slide

95. @ashedryden
    Influence change in
    our communities
    

    View Slide

96. @ashedryden
    Have the hard
    conversations
    

    View Slide

97. @ashedryden
    Increase Education
    and Access
    

    View Slide

98. @ashedryden
    help facilitate
    events for
    marginalized people
    in tech
    

    View Slide

99. @ashedryden
    volunteer at local
    schools and groups
    

    View Slide

100. @ashedryden
     commit financial
     resources
     

     View Slide

101. @ashedryden
     work with colleges
     and universities
     

     View Slide

102. @ashedryden
     “What are you doing to help
     students who’ve had less
     exposure to technology?”
     

     View Slide

103. @ashedryden
     remove bias from
     our schools and
     universities
     

     View Slide

104. @ashedryden
     “Have you
     programmed
     before?”
     

     View Slide

105. @ashedryden
     Change Our
     Workplaces
     

     View Slide

106. @ashedryden
     what does the ‘about’
     page of your website
     look like?
     

     View Slide

107. @ashedryden
     vocal support
     

     View Slide

108. @ashedryden
     job listing language
     and requirements
     

     View Slide

109. @ashedryden
     benefits
     

     View Slide

110. @ashedryden
     interviewing
     

     View Slide

111. @ashedryden
     equal pay
     

     View Slide

112. @ashedryden
     culture
     

     View Slide

113. @ashedryden
     mentoring and career
     goal attainment
     

     View Slide

114. @ashedryden
     there is no silver
     bullet
     

     View Slide

115. @ashedryden
     multi-faceted problems
     require multi-faceted
     solutions
     

     View Slide

116. @ashedryden
     requires participation
     from everyone
     

     View Slide

117. @ashedryden
     Questions?
     

     View Slide

118. @ashedryden
     Thank You!
     @ashedryden
     ashedryden.com
     

     View Slide