Discrimination of Women in IT Sphere Coursework

Revised Qualitative Problem Statement

There is a general abuse, discrimination, marginalization, and harassment of womenfolk in information technology (IT) industries. This social or behavioral conflict has made the full participation of women in IT poor and invisible; even though there is a slight growth in advocate level for equality/empowerment of woman as against male marginalization, globally. Age-long masculinist ideologies have continued to be dramatically untenable, notional and justice-distributive (Haraway, 1991). Technology is seen by most men (and indeed society) as a man’s zone to dominate and transform; therefore the presence of a woman in this sphere is unusually considered by men as unacceptable or even as a privilege for abuse. The effect or consequence of gender discriminations as practiced in IT industries is the limitation of IT-based industries particularly in terms of growth.

There is an equal wastage of talents only on account of gender as womenfolk continually face various challenges capable of distracting their excellence in performance. Research has therefore identified the need to address challenges met by woman at the work-place in IT organizations for enhancing equality and consequently, productivity (Turkle, 1984; Wajcman, 1991; Rakow, 1992; Riano, 1994; Plant, 1997). This study equally identifies with the need to promote a more free participation of women in IT; on a broad screen, this can be achieved through more enlightenment of gender issues, appropriately developed research, and an enabled sex-disaggregation.

The study is therefore institutionalized to address complex issue of abuse, discrimination, marginalization, and harassment of females at the workplace in information technology industries through both structural qualitative and quantitative research methods using sampling. The purpose of the study is to determine the impact of assorts from the workplace in IT on women particularly in the US. Two hundred questionnaires are to be administered online for assessment of how women are finding IT based organizational or industrial challenges, or otherwise. These findings would also be backed up with one hundred verbal qualitative interviews to validate or authenticate the responses from the two hundred administered questionnaires. The option to authenticate the previous findings is born out of the need to find a reliable database that could be used to address the important issue in discuss. Hence the researcher is disposed with a formidable research tool for a well presented point of view.

A concise, straightforward, but yet clear imagery of the subject matter is desirable for an effective coverage of the research. As such, the research would not undermine any responses hence that would tantamount to swerve of information obtained. In a similar study conducted by Mies, the study-guide method employed permitted interplay for figuring out a correlation between interviewer and respondent for enabling a progression to encompassing experiences of a dialogue which is likely to oppose an expected intellectual process (Mies, 1986).

Qualitative Purpose Statement

The purpose of this study is to investigate the working conditions experienced by women in IT.

Revised Quantitative Problem Statement

The society in present days has far less females participating in IT than could be compared to males; a number of these women attend to their families as well as their profession (Rush & Donna, 1989; Shiva, 1993; Spender, 1995). Meeting up with both highly demanding responsibilities presents significant challenges for woman (Moranga & Anzaldúa, 1981; Mies & Vandana, 1993; Mitter & Sheila, 1995). It is believed that for women to coup effectively with the management of homes, and well as attend to the workplace professionally, the woman has to assume a flirtatious/bubbly character particularly when it comes to enacting results and acceptability by male co-workers. In India, for example, despite women’s perseverance to have an image in IT, they have continually encountered obstacles, challenges, and confrontations (Hacker, 1989). In the US, these obstacles, challenges, and confrontations are sometimes tilted towards sexual gratifications as demanded by their male bosses at the work place (Franklin, 1990; Henwood, 1993). For married women, working away from home in a rural setting may not just take the woman away from her domestic responsibilities but also present health threats (Carter & Carole, 1989). When women do not have very specified responsibilities, they are likely to go down with health complications such as stress (Davidson & Cary, 1987).

In Canada, women in the IT sector are equally faced with numerous challenges based on gender; there are though examinations for administrative positions and performance placements (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010). There is also a significant under representation of women in the sector in Canada. The problems of male domination lately at workplaces include scenarios where the bosses force their junior female employees to extend sexual favors in return for beneficial gains such as promotions and other rewards.

The purpose of this study therefore is to measure the extent and effects of anti-comfort vices on women working in IT industries or companies both in the public and private sectors. The study will take a form of a survey whereby the population to be studied will be identified and selected basing on various office situations. Presently, almost every strategy to reign in the lack of IT ethics, works somewhere under some set of circumstances is likely undermined. On the other hand, specific restraining schemes that are flourishing in one place of work are not necessarily successful in another. Since each institution has different needs, standard set solutions cannot be imposed. For a particular IT Institute, policy makers will utilize the findings in coming up with regulations aiming at achieving effective controls over social-network-use during official working hours in workplaces.

Revised Quantitative Purpose Statement

It is noteworthy to say that quite a number of the challenges faced by women in IT, just as it is the case with quite a number of other industries, are factually based on gender. According to Mumford, there is a significant lag in basic laws to protect woman in IT (Mumford, 1970). This has consequently forced woman to be unusually submissive on their jobs (Game & Rosemary, 1984). Hanson & Uma (1990) have gone a step ahead to note that at instances where there is a single slot for employment between a man and a woman, no matter how qualified the woman would be for the position, it is certain that the man would be absorbed against the equally qualified female applicant. So, the challenges faced by women working in the IT sector start right from the stage of seeking for employment; thus devaluating the female in the presence of male colleagues even before the woman should have started work with the company or institution (Kuhn, 1996). Considering legally approved remunerations, it is supposed that there is an equality of the application of legal laws; but most often than never, the administration of laws on equality bases practically is null. This according to Willis (2007), could possibly be based on an inbuilt conviction against the performance of women given the same platform with their male counterparts (Spender, 1995). The archaic idea of male proficiency when compared to women has generated a non wavering hurdle against women who intend to push forward smoothly in IT industries.

On the other hand, few ‘super women’, who have found their way to the top in IT have to employ measures that must excel them against men at the same level (Rush & Donna, 1989; Mitter & Sheila, 1995). While several notable literatures dwell on the defensive for the benefit of uplifting policies that will support better working conditions for women, the purpose of this paper is to understand the impact this harm has on women.

Quantitative Research Question, With Associated Null and Alternative Hypotheses

The quantitative research question is presented: what best practices will enhance better working conditions for women in information technology? At instances where these best practices are applied but this is a continuation of harassment against women at the workplaces, what options must be taken to redress the conflict?

Qualitative Research Question

Discriminating women based on their gender is inappropriate, unlikable, and harmful and should not be practiced at the workplace in IT industries. It is pertinent for employers to disengage from acts that would demoralize women at the workplace under IT settings. The question is therefore presented, ‘what best practices would promote more work-friendly environments for women in its industries?’

Reference List

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