¶ … occupation of computer programmer reflects a number of traditional components of society in the United States. Demographically, the profession is largely made up of while males in their late thirties. As such, the profession reflects stratification by race, class, and gender. However, recent changes in the profession, such as outsourcing of programming jobs to India, threaten this perception. At the same time, the degree of publicity such outsourcing has received (when compared to attention paid to job losses incurred by Black Americans) continues to reflect the race stratification in American society.
A computer programmer, by definition, is an individual who creates programs that allow computers to perform specific functions. This includes creating computer programs, and designing and testing logical structures for solving computer problems. In the simplest terms, programmers tell computers how, where, and when to access information. Commonly used computer languages include Java, C++, and COBOL (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
The demographic composition of computer programmers largely reflects stratification by race, class, and gender. Notes the Department for Professional Employees, "The typical computer professional is a 37-year-old white man." Largely white males. Few computer programmers are elderly or in their teens. Further, computer programmers are much less likely to be female or members of a racial minority than other technicians or professionals (Department for Professional Employees).
A number of factors come into play to account for the low number of females involved in computer programming. Mayfield notes that women who enter college use computers at an almost equal level as their male counterparts. A 2001 study a survey by the University of California noted that 77.8% of first-year female...
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