The Rapid Expansion and Growth of Information Technology (Dissertation Sample)

Despite the rapid expansion and growth of Information Technology (IT), women are disproportionately underrepresented in the field compared to their male counterparts. Historically, and up to date, men have significantly outnumbered women in the (STEM fields), including Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, for various reasons. According to (Vieira & Couto, 2020, pg. 205), the rapid decrease in the number of women, especially African American women, in IT is the most pressing issue in the field. On the other hand, (Clark et al., 2021) posits that despite the progressive increase in compensation for IT careers, the presence of women, especially African American women, in the IT field is rapidly decreasing. Consequently, education for African American women is vital in their lives as it forms the basis for their prospective careers. As a result, there is a need to have an equal representation of women and men in the technology field to ensure that they all have equal chances for developing ideas, concepts, and innovations in the future of IT. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the reasons for the inequality and design and structure programs that focus on the STEM education needs of African American women.
Several factors influence African American women's attitudes and willingness to study technology. Frehill & Ivie (2013) shows that male students are more likely to pursue a STEM-related diploma or degree than African American women. Consequently, Clark et al. (2020) note that gender stereotyping of women, especially among the minority communities, as weak in the STEM-related disciplines is the leading cause of the underrepresentation of African American women in the IT field. Notably, peers and media further confirm the misconception of female weakness in STEM-related disciplines. On the other hand, Katherine et al. (2020), indicates that academic role models and STEM professionals of the same gender were significantly influential for minority women studying STEM disciplines. Hence, additional African American women’s presence in the IT field could attract more women into the field by demonstrating that IT is a feminine and masculine area of study. In addition, there is often the absence of advice and support from parents for African American women to study IT. As a result, there is a need for substantial concerted efforts to support and change the girls and women's negative conceptions that they acquire from multiple sources.