Tech Woman: work context and mediation strategies of female computing workers
Women, Computing, Psychodynamics of Women's Work, Gender Inequality, History of Computing
This dissertation investigates the presence and challenges of women in computing. To this end, three
studies were developed: The first study addresses the issue of women's underrepresentation in computing,
exploring historical, cultural, and subjectivation factors that interfere with this issue. The study revealed
how social gender constructions and cultural norms have historically denied due recognition to women in
this sector, despite their participation in the construction of this technological field. The second study is a
systematic review, which aimed to identify how scientific publications approach the characteristics of the
work context and the mediation strategies used by women workers in computing areas. The third study is
an empirical research, in which interviews were conducted with 12 workers who work in computing areas,
aiming to analyze the participants' perceptions of their work context, as well as the strategies used to deal
with the reality of work. The results characterized strategies that led both to health, in the sense of
changing the work organization, and to illness, in cases where the participants took upon themselves the
desire for production at the expense of their own. The three studies are complementary in that they
provide a comprehensive view of the role of women in computing, highlighting the need for more
effective strategies to promote inclusion and gender equity in these fields. The findings reinforce the importance of recognizing women's work in the history of technological advancement, the creation of more inclusive organizational and educational policies, and the recognition of women's work in computing today.