Education and digital divides
Required reading/listening:
Margolis, J. (2008/2017) Stuck in the Shallow End: Education, Race & Computing. Intro, chapters 1, 3 (YES, WE ARE SKIPPING CHAPTER 2)
Listen to audio program (4 min 33 seconds): When Women Stopped Coding
Questions:
1. In Chapter 1, Margolis states that the underrepresentation in computer science of students of color is a civil rights issue for the 21st century.
According to Margolis, if students of color are being trained for low-end jobs, they will become the ‘designated serfs of the information age' (p.5).
a. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why? (3-4 sentences)
b. Relate this to one other idea we've read about or discussed in this class. (3-4 sentences)
2. In Chapter 3, Margolis examines how underrepresentation of minorities in computer science classes (and professions) relates to the larger educational crisis in this country and issues we face as world citizens.
a. Margolis discusses multiple reasons why so few students of color are taking computer science classes. Explain 2 of these reasons.
b. How do Peggy McIntosh'sideas from White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsackrelate to this topic?
3. In Chapter 3, what does Margolis mean by "normalizing the racial divide"? (2-3 sentences)
4. Audio program - What happened in 1984, and how did that create inequalities in the computer science field? (2-3 sentences)