Hicks 4

how many computer jobs went from being clerical to administrative

• computers were increasingly being seen as tools for management
• lack of people meant that centralization was necessary
• new people were hired instead of promoting those who already had experience
  

• the existing workers had been purposefully reduced in status and women were seen as unreliable
• there was no formal training so higher status workers had no knowledge of programming
• much concern about young women advancing too fast in pay
• but even when they opened the jobs more to women the higher status jobs were hard to fill because machine jobs had a reputation as low status and little promotion
• machine operators were prohibited from applying to higher status jobs
  
• how to tell someone was a suitable candidate?

the process of creating new professional fields

• we would expect to become a computer programmer you get a computer science degree
• but what do you do when computer science degrees haven't been created yet?
• some people get jobs without a degree by taking coding courses
• not like professions that have a professional society that controls access through education and licensing exam
• too many people were needed too quickly to set up a formal path
• the people with hands on experience may do more than people with just formal education
• we can see this kind of pattern today in GIS--Geographic Information Systems such as ArcGIS--also drone piloting, Adobe Suite for graphics

So how does this work through in England

• need for programmers--computers are rapidly becoming important
  
• there is no formal path of training
• the people who have the knowledge are the women who are machine operators
• why not promote and train them as programmers?
• they are women without good degrees (degrees from top universities)
  
• if they get better jobs than men the men will complain
• men won't want the jobs if it is seen as women's work or machine work (blue collar)
  

• as computers become high prestige they want programmers who are intelligent and will stay for long careers after they pay for training
• they assume women's careers will be short (self-fullfilling prophecy)
  
• a good degree is the only way to get smart people when there isn't yet a test