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The Gendering of the Computing Field in Finland, France and the United Kingdom Between 1960 and 1990

  • Chapter
Connecting Women

Part of the book series: History of Computing ((HC))

Abstract

This chapter documents the role that women played in the computing field in three different European countries from the late 1960s into the early 1990s: Finland, a latecomer to the computer industry which was then deemed of national importance, France which boasted several computer manufacturing companies and where IT service companies played an important role in the early history of computing, and the United Kingdom, also involved in computer manufacturing, but where the public sector played a major role. We will see that despite national differences, similarities exist concerning the role women played in the computer industry and that the masculinisation of the profession can be attributed to similar causes. Initially, jobs were considered unskilled and marked out as women’s work. When women acquired the necessary skills to play a more important role, various forms of discrimination slowly discouraged them from staying in computer science. The study of these three countries at the moment when computing was introduced into the public and private sectors and became a major tool for management and strategic decisions shows how software activities were socially constructed as masculine.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Gürer, Denise. 1995. Pioneering women in computer science. Communications of the ACM 58(1): 45–54; Goyal, Amita. 1996. Women in computing: historical roles, the perpetual glass ceiling, and current opportunities. IEEE Annals of the History of Computing 18(3): 36–42.

  2. 2.

    Ensmenger, Nathan L. 2012. The computer boys take over: computers, programmers, and the politics of technical expertise. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press; Abbate, Janet. 2012. Recoding gender – women’s changing participation in computing. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

  3. 3.

    Vehviläinen, Marja. 1997. Gender and expertise in retrospect: pioneers in computing in Finland. In Women, work and computerisation: spinning a web from past to future, ed. Anna Frances Grundy et al., 435–448. Proceedings of the 6th international IFIP conference. Berlin: Springer; Vehviläinen, Marja. 1999. Gender and computing in retrospect: the case of Finland. IEEE Annals of the History of Computing 21(2): 44–51.

  4. 4.

    Paju, Petri. 2008. National projects and international users: Finland and early European computerization. IEEE Annals of the History of Computing 1(4): 77–91.

  5. 5.

    Vehviläinen 1999: 46.

  6. 6.

    Vehviläinen 1999: 46.

  7. 7.

    Vehviläinen 1997: 441.

  8. 8.

    Vehviläinen 1999: 48.

  9. 9.

    Marry, Catherine. 2004. Les femmes ingénieurs: une révolution respectueuse. Paris: Belin.

  10. 10.

    Canepa, Daniel, Jean-Martin Folz, and Florian Blazy. 2009. Mission d’étude sur l’avenir des corps d’ingénieurs de l’Etat. http://www.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr/rapports-publics/094000145/. Accessed 3 Mar 2015.

  11. 11.

    Canepa et al. 2009.

  12. 12.

    Kosciusko-Morizet, Jacques-Antoine. 1973. La ‘Mafia’ polytechnicienne. Paris: Seuil.

  13. 13.

    Griset, Pascal (ed.). 1999. Aux origines de l’informatique française: entre Plan Calcul et UNIDATA, 1963–1975. Paris: Editions Rive Droite, Institut d’Histoire de l’Industrie.

  14. 14.

    Lacombe, Frank, and Philippe Rosé. 2011. Entreprises de services et économie numérique: une radiographie des SSII. Paris: CIGREF éditeur.

  15. 15.

    Lacombe and Rosé 2011: 31.

  16. 16.

    Bret, Christian. 2005. L’histoire des 40 premières années des SSII en France à travers leurs hommes et leurs activités. Entreprises et Histoire 3: 9–14.

  17. 17.

    Mounier-Kuhn, Pierre-Emmanuel. 1990. Genèse de l’informatique en France 1945–1965. Culture Technique 21: 21–35.

  18. 18.

    Recoque, A. 2007. Miria a validé l’ordinateur personnel avant qu’IBM ne le découvre. Code source, hebdomadaire des 40 ans de l’INRIA 1: 6.

  19. 19.

    Marry 2004: 109.

  20. 20.

    Collet, Isabelle. 2005. La masculinisation des études d’informatique. Savoir, pouvoir et genre. Thèse de doctorat en Sciences de l’Education, Université Paris X.

  21. 21.

    Collet 2005: 31.

  22. 22.

    De Peslouan, Geneviève. 1974. Qui sont les femmes ingénieurs en France? Paris: PUF.

  23. 23.

    Appert, Monique, Anne-Marie Grozelier, and Cécile Baron. 1983. Diversification de l’emploi féminin: insertion professionnelle des femmes formées dans des métiers traditionnellement masculins. Dossier de recherche du CEE 8, AFPA-CEE éditeur, quoted by Collet 2005: 55, our translation.

  24. 24.

    DARES. 2004. Vingt ans de métiers: L’évolution des emplois de 1982 à 2002. Premières Synthèses 43: 2.

  25. 25.

    DARES 2013. La répartition des hommes et des femmes par métiers. Une baisse de la ségrégation depuis 30 ans. Dares Analyse 79: 1–13.

  26. 26.

    Becquet, Françoise. 2010. Exposition « Courbevoie, berceau de l’informatique française », Souvenirs de Françoise Becquet. http://sea.museeinformatique.fr/Souvenirs-de-Francoise-BECQUET_a2.html?com. Accessed 3 Mar 2015, our translation.

  27. 27.

    Stevens, Hélène. 2007. The professional fate of woman engineers in the computer sciences: unexpected reversals. Sociologie du travail 49: 443–463.

  28. 28.

    Collet, Isabelle, and Maud Ingarao. 2002. La place des femmes dans les SSII. Rapport au Ministère des affaires sociales, du travail et de la solidarité- Service des droits des femmes et de l’égalité professionnelle.

  29. 29.

    Clark, Tom, and Andrew Dilnot. 2002. Long-term trends in British taxation and spending. The Institute for Fiscal Studies, Briefing Note 25. London.

  30. 30.

    Hicks, Marie. 2010. Only the clothes changed: women operators in British computing and advertising, 1950–1970. IEEE Annals of the History of Computing 32(4): 5–17, Hicks, Marie. 2011. Meritocracy and feminization in conflict: computerization in the British government. In Gender codes: why women are leaving computing, ed. T.J. Misa, 157–192. Hoboken: Wiley.

  31. 31.

    Hicks 2011: 161.

  32. 32.

    Abbate 2012.

  33. 33.

    Lavington, Simon. 2009. An appreciation of Dina St Johnston 1930–2007 founder of the UK’s first software house. The Computer Journal 52(3): 378–387; Porter, Collin. 2008. Dina St Johnston 1930–2007 Obituary. The Institution of Railway Signal Engineers IRSE. Proceedings 2007/2008: 17.

  34. 34.

    Abbate 2012: 125–143.

  35. 35.

    Abbate 2012: 126.

  36. 36.

    Abbate 2012: 138.

  37. 37.

    Shirley, Steve, and Eliza G.C. Collins. 1986. A company without offices. Harvard Business Review 64: 127–136.

  38. 38.

    Hicks 2010.

  39. 39.

    Klawe, Maria, and Nancy Leveson. 1995. Women in computing: where are we now? Communications of the ACM 38(1): 29–35.

  40. 40.

    Oechtering, Veronika, and Roswitha Behnke. 1995. Situations and advancement measures in Germany. Communications of the ACM 38(1): 75–82.

  41. 41.

    Miquel, C. 1991. Mythologies modernes et micro-informatique. La puce et son dompteur. Paris: L’Harmattan; Jouët, Josiane. 1987. Le vécu de la technique. La télématique et la micro-informatique à domicile. Réseaux 5(25): 119–141; Grundy, A.F., and J. Grundy. 1996. Women and computers. Bristol: Intellect Books.

  42. 42.

    Turkle, Sherry. 1984. The second self. Computers and the human spirit. New York: Simon & Schuster.

  43. 43.

    Collet, Isabelle. 2006. L’informatique a-t-elle un sexe? Hackers, mythes et réalités. Paris: L’Harmattan.

  44. 44.

    Wajcman, J. 1991. Feminism confronts technology. Cambridge: Polity Press.

References

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    Google Scholar 

  • Appert, Monique, Anne-Marie Grozelier, and Cécile Baron. 1983. Diversification de l’emploi féminin: insertion professionnelle des femmes formées dans des métiers traditionnellement masculins. Dossier de recherche du CEE 8, AFPA-CEE éditeur.

    Google Scholar 

  • Becquet, Françoise. 2010. Exposition « Courbevoie, berceau de l’informatique française », Souvenirs de Françoise Becquet. http://sea.museeinformatique.fr/Souvenirs-de-Francoise-BECQUET_a2.html?com. Accessed 3 Mar 2015.

  • Bret, Christian. 2005. L’histoire des 40 premières années des SSII en France à travers leurs hommes et leurs activités. Entreprises et Histoire 3: 9–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Canepa, Daniel, Jean-Martin Folz, and Florian Blazy. 2009. Mission d’étude sur l’avenir des corps d’ingénieurs de l’Etat. http://www.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr/rapports-publics/094000145/. Accessed 3 Mar 2015.

  • Clark, Tom, and Andrew Dilnot. 2002. Long-term trends in British taxation and spending. The Institute for Fiscal Studies, Briefing Note 25. London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collet, Isabelle. 2005. La masculinisation des études d’informatique. Savoir, pouvoir et genre. Thèse de doctorat en Sciences de l’Education, Université Paris X.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collet, Isabelle. 2006. L’informatique a-t-elle un sexe? Hackers, mythes et réalités. Paris: L’Harmattan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collet, Isabelle, and Maud Ingarao. 2002. La place des femmes dans les SSII. Rapport au Ministère des affaires sociales, du travail et de la solidarité- Service des droits des femmes et de l’égalité professionnelle.

    Google Scholar 

  • DARES. 2004. Vingt ans de métiers: L’évolution des emplois de 1982 à 2002. Premières Synthèses 43: 2.

    Google Scholar 

  • DARES 2013. La répartition des hommes et des femmes par métiers. Une baisse de la ségrégation depuis 30 ans. Dares Analyse 79: 1–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Peslouan, Geneviève. 1974. Qui sont les femmes ingénieurs en France? Paris: PUF.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ensmenger, Nathan L. 2012. The computer boys take over: computers, programmers, and the politics of technical expertise. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goyal, Amita. 1996. Women in computing: historical roles, the perpetual glass ceiling, and current opportunities. IEEE Annals of the History of Computing 18(3): 36–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griset, P. (ed.). 1999. Aux origines de l’informatique française: entre Plan Calcul et UNIDATA, 1963–1975. Paris: Editions Rive Droite, Institut d’Histoire de l’Industrie.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grundy, A.F., and J. Grundy. 1996. Women and computers. Bristol: Intellect Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gürer, Denise. 1995. Pioneering women in computer science. Communications of the ACM 58(1): 45–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hicks, Marie. 2010. Only the clothes changed: women operators in British computing and advertising, 1950–1970. IEEE Annals of the History of Computing 32(4): 5–17.

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Hicks, Marie. 2011. Meritocracy and feminization in conflict: computerization in the British government. In Gender codes: why women are leaving computing, ed. T.J. Misa, 157–192. Hoboken: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jouët, Josiane. 1987. Le vécu de la technique. La télématique et la micro-informatique à domicile. Réseaux 5(25): 119–141.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klawe, Maria, and Nancy Leveson. 1995. Women in computing: where are we now? Communications of the ACM 38(1): 29–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kosciusko-Morizet, Jacques-Antoine. 1973. La ‘Mafia’ polytechnicienne. Paris: Seuil.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lacombe, Frank, and Philippe Rosé. 2011. Entreprises de services et économie numérique: une radiographie des SSII. Paris: CIGREF éditeur.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lavington, Simon. 2009. An appreciation of Dina St Johnston 1930–2007 founder of the UK’s first software house. The Computer Journal 52(3): 378–387.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marry, Catherine. 2004. Les femmes ingénieurs: une révolution respectueuse. Paris: Belin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miquel, C. 1991. Mythologies modernes et micro-informatique. La puce et son dompteur. Paris: L’Harmattan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mounier-Kuhn, Pierre-Emmanuel. 1990. Genèse de l’informatique en France 1945–1965. Culture Technique 21: 21–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oechtering, Veronika, and Roswitha Behnke. 1995. Situations and advancement measures in Germany. Communications of the ACM 38(1): 75–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paju, Petri. 2008. National projects and international users: Finland and early European computerization. IEEE Annals of the History of Computing 1(4): 77–91.

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Porter, Collin. 2008. Dina St Johnston 1930–2007 Obituary. The Institution of Railway Signal Engineers IRSE. Proceedings 2007/2008: 17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Recoque, A. 2007. Miria a validé l’ordinateur personnel avant qu’IBM ne le découvre. Code source, hebdomadaire des 40 ans de l’INRIA 1: 6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shirley, Steve, and Eliza G.C. Collins. 1986. A company without offices. Harvard Business Review 64: 127–136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stevens, Hélène. 2007. The professional fate of woman engineers in the computer sciences: unexpected reversals. Sociologie du travail 49: 443–463.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turkle, Sherry. 1984. The second self. Computers and the human spirit. New York: Simon & Schuster.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vehviläinen, Marja. 1997. Gender and expertise in retrospect: pioneers in computing in Finland. In Women, work and computerisation: spinning a web from past to future, ed. Anna Frances Grundy et al., 435–448. Proceedings of the 6th international IFIP conference. Berlin: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vehviläinen, Marja. 1999. Gender and computing in retrospect: the case of Finland. IEEE Annals of the History of Computing 21(2): 44–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wajcman, J. 1991. Feminism confronts technology. Cambridge: Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut Mines-Télécom, Télécom École de Management, Evry, France

    Chantal Morley & Martina McDonnell

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  1. Chantal Morley
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  2. Martina McDonnell
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Correspondence to Chantal Morley .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Communication Sciences, CNRS, Paris-Sorbonne, UPMC, Paris, France

    Valérie Schafer

  2. Institute for Communication Sciences CNRS, Paris-Sorbonne, UPMC, Université Paris-Sorbonne, Paris, France

    Benjamin G. Thierry

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Morley, C., McDonnell, M. (2015). The Gendering of the Computing Field in Finland, France and the United Kingdom Between 1960 and 1990. In: Schafer, V., Thierry, B. (eds) Connecting Women. History of Computing. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20837-4_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20837-4_8

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