Research Esaay 2
Research Esaay 2
Research Esaay 2
Stephanie Chuang
English 182
25 October 2018
curious about the social effects of computer science culture on students because of something my
advisor said, “Not everyone has free printing, so please be humble.” She was implying our
position of privilege within the university as Direct Admits into the major, a feat with lower than
advantages, and resources, I was appalled by what seemed to be outright materialism in their
motivation to study computer science. The obsession with high salaries, free swag, and the titular
classmates’ eyes, myself included. While I acknowledge that my feelings about this are highly
subjective, it really got me thinking about the negative social effects of computer science culture.
Are we fostering a generation of students that come out of the program less generous and
empathetic than they were before? This is important to consider because the people who graduate
from programs like these go on to create and influence technologies that tell us where to go, what
to buy, and what to listen to. I would hope that the people creating such important technologies
were people of sound character and morals, because their behavior will trickle down into the
technologies they create, whether they know it or not, and rebound culturally across millions of
Chuang 2
lives. This leads me to my question, how do the stereotypes surrounding computer science
majors affect those students’ decisions to major in computer science? While this question may
seem unrelated to what I just described, it’s really a neutral investigation into what I’m
researching. It’s imperative that I stay neutral when I am asking questions, because any false
assumptions I make could affect the results I get. By doing this, I can then authentically
investigate the potentially negative causes and effects of computer science culture.
Initially, when I started my research, I struggled to find any relevant sources about my
topic. Most sources were about diversity in computer science, ethics of certain types of code, or
the sociology of non-computer science fields. All were in the ballpark, but not exactly what I
needed. This told me that my topic was not something that was broadly discussed. After several
combinations of keywords, I did find a article in the Journal of Moral Education titled
“Computer Majors’ Education as Moral Enterprise: a Durkheimian analysis” that was precisely
about what I was looking for. One of the first points the authors make is that computer science
students are not explicitly told how to behave in an ethical way. “In the same sense that no one is
taught directly how to behave in an elevator, no one is taught directly how to behave as a
computer professional. As with explicit moral education, students learn to ‘be good’ as a
by-product of specific demonstrated actions” (Rigoni and Lamagdeleine 492). In addition to the
lack of explicit instruction, the authors establish through their analysis that students learn their
behaviors implicitly by copying the actions around them. One possible reason for the lack of
explicit instruction is offered in an article titled, “A Framework for Enhancing the Social Good
in Computing Education: A Values Approach,” “We see this in the current culture of computer
science: CS instructors see themselves as information providers and trainers of future computing
Chuang 3
practitioners (or graduate students), rather than deep educators” (Goldweber et al. 60). The belief
of computer science as a strictly technical field is one that is widespread, even held by teachers
who don’t emphasize on the importance that the social impact of computer science can have. If
we want to change the way we view the influence of computer science, talking to teachers is the
way to start.
In continuation on this, my next point is that there are negative implications that come
from the lack of discussion surrounding this. Computer Science is often viewed as an
individualistic, “out for yourself” challenge. The authors of the book Implementing a Tenth
Strand in the CS Curriculum describe this behavior, “Many students come to computer science
with a hacker mentality; that is, they view the computer as a personal intellectual challenge, a
test of their ability to solve logical problems and to control the computer” (Martin et al. 77).
However, this is a dangerous and unchecked way of thinking that is false. To think this way
would be to ignore any potential consequences of one’s actions as a programmer on other people,
which is irresponsible. Rigoni and Lamagdeleine reinforce my point by stating, “Among some of
the representations majors become invested in, we can certainly cite traces of hegemonic
discourse that qualifies as ideology” (502). In their case study at the anonymously renamed St
Cecelia University, the social pickups similar to those just described earlier among students are
so strong it amounts to an ideology. To sum it up, first, we have established that there is a
tendency among students to treat computer science as a field where they can reign rampant and
unchecked. Secondly, we have established that these inclinations are strong enough to be
considered an ideology of sorts. This, combined with the lack of attention to the effects of these
Chuang 4
aspects, accumulate to a growing generation of programmers who are not adequately considering
The next point I would like to make is that not only are these behaviors bad for the
programmers, but they have a negative effect on their work and the general populace, who
consume what they create. A Senior at St Cecelia University said this of programmer behavior,
“The people who've been most successful with the computer courses, I always thought of as
being better people. They're more friendly. They're more outgoing. They work harder. They're
not out for just themselves. They're helpful to everybody. I guess I see them as more caring
(Senior)” (Rigoni and Lamagdeleine 495). Here, we have arguably the most important point of
my research. This student’s testimony is evidence of the connection there is between social
behaviors and results in academia. Having strong morals of generosity and selflessness does
make a difference, in both the programmer’s work and other people. Without it, we cannot
function as well as we could in teams, groups, or classes. Pursuing sensitivity and awareness in
computer science is not a fruitless attempt, and caring about others in computer science is
imperative. Something else worth mentioning in Rigoni and Lamagdeleine’s study is a comment
by a professor, “You're a service person in the business . . . ‘You're going to get a lot of
self-serving satisfaction out of this, but your objective is to serve somebody else.’ I think that's
where we went wrong with these folks or where they went wrong because they couldn't get out
of the self-serving mode into a serving others mode (Dr C)” (495). Dr. C supports the idea that
Computer Science is a service field to other people, not just an individual challenge. This also
ties back in with the first point I made, about how no programmer is explicitly told how to
behave and what values to keep. When we create such an intense, high-stakes, stressful
Chuang 5
environment for students to grow in, these are the setbacks experienced. Students work so hard
to be admitted into a program that is so hard to get into, and then they work even harder to get a
job and benefits secured. It makes sense that over time, these students start to believe that they
have to be the only ones looking out for themselves, and that they are the only reason they will or
won’t succeed. It’s from this environment we get the self-serving mode, and like Dr. C says, we
never teach students to get out of it, because we always see everyone else as the competition to
While on the surface, my project may seem like it’s making a mountain out of a molehill,
it’s really an important point of view that the industry has neglected to pay attention to. These
behaviors and environments matter so much, and they have a rebounding effect on consumers
whether they know it or not. All I want to do it just bring attention to the fact that the University
of Washington can combat any negative effects they may be fostering. It’s possible that because
of the environment, people are choosing to not study computer science, or that people are
“scared away” from the subject. In “A Framework for Enhancing the Social Good in Computing
Education: A Values Approach,” the authors discuss these stereotypes and unnecessary
consequences in terms of their connection with diversity, “Although girls enroll in secondary
math and science classes at or near gender parity and perform as well as or better than boys[45],
many avoid taking computer science classes because they do not perceive a computing career as
having ‘the power to do good and make a difference’” (Goldweber et al. 59). This quote supports
the idea that we have to place importance on the social influences of computer science, because
not only does a lack of social values in computer science have adverse effects on programmers
and the people around them, but it also influences the diversity or lack thereof in the industry.
Chuang 6
The quantity of connections that social values in computer science have to other parts of the
Works Cited
Goldweber, Michael, et al. “A Framework for Enhancing the Social Good in Computing
doi:10.1145/2432596.2432616.
Martin, C. Dianne, et al. Implementing A Tenth Strand in the CS Curriculum. Vol. 39,
Rigoni, David P., and Donald R. Lamagdeleine. “Computer Majors’ Education as Moral
Enterprise: a Durkheimian Analysis.” Journal of Moral Education, vol. 27, no. 4, 1998,