Why is computer science a gender authentic choice for women? Gender and technology in a cross-cultural perspective

The last fifteen years, the lack of women in computer science has been a public issue in many western countries. It has been argued that this is caused by a strong, universal symbolic relationship between computer science and masculinity. However, this argument is based on research that has almost solely concentrated on societies in the West. In this paper, we shift focus by way of observation and interviewing in the multicultural society of Malaysia. Our findings contradict these claims to universalistic notions of an inherent relation of computer science and masculinity. In Malaysia, women have a strong position in computer science. Our investigations at two different departments of computer science in Malaysian universities indicate that cultural reading precedes any intrinsic conception of what is masculine and respective feminine or not in the world of technology. The paper will explore how the pervasive ethnic and cultural dynamics of Malaysian society, including gender, influence how computer science is culturally shaped and appropriated.