Behavior Selection Under Covert Prejudice:Research On The Workplace Adaption Of Female Programmers

With policies support,China’s software industry has achieved tremendous progress in the last two decades.In 2021,the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology made formulation about software and information technology sector during the 14th five-year period,which stirred up a spree of it and made programmer renown equivalent of technician with high returns.As an important component,female programmers have to face their low proportion and weak status in the industry,which stirs confusion about whether there is gender prejudice in the industry,and how they adapt to this circumstances.This study bases on female programmers who works in internet industry of first-tier cities,using literature,interview and observation method,combining labeling theory and gender perspective,means to reveal the invisible label and prejudice they face,analyse the historical and structural formation,and summarize the occupation adaption strategies of those who insist.This paper argues that,female programmers who work in internet industry of first-tier cities have to face a series of terrible experiences as a result of covert prejudice and gender-blindness,and base on this,their choices of workplace adaption are pluralistic.First,female workers’weak say in technology field is the result of their stigmatized label "the tech poor",which come after the conspiracy of unjust gender power structure with technology.On the one hand,traditional gender norm permeates education system and social culture,modeling their traditional gender temperament of "tech poor","not tough" and even "don’t have to work hard".On the other hand,male dominance in technology acquire reasonable basis through their affinity with computing,which is shown from image,professional skills and gender temperament.Both contribute to the shaping of prejudice over the speciality of female programmers,consolidating the existing structure in the field;also,the history of male taking over in programmer work provides stronger proof.Second,under this circumstances,not every female programmer can feel the unjust treatment,and not all of their workplace practices aim at smashing prejudices and labels,their behavioral choices are the results of various factors.In the technology management,normalizing programming work strip away the mysterious cover of it,providing pointcut for female programmers’ entrance.Also,they accumulate experience and confidence on the process when strive to polish skills and hit the job,stimulating constant working energy.In the management about gender,female programmers realize the balance between family and work at different degree in accordance with various recognition and expectations about themselves.Some search for solution beyond gender consideration,accepting the traditional role of female;others take their male colleagues as examples to construct their own male temperaments,thus breaking the binary division of gender and the existing technology pattern.To conclude,there is no preference between the two adaption choices,both disenchanting the existing computing world,providing standards to create a female-friendly working environment.