'Technical, but not very...': constructing gendered identities in IT-related employment

Abstract

Changes in the nature of skilled roles in the IT sector were predicted to create new opportunities for women, yet the proportion of women in this sector is falling. This article presents findings from interviews with senior managers in organisations that are attempting to change this situation. There was little evidence from these respondents of a radical reappraisal of the cultural assumptions about jobs, and considerable evidence that gendered identities at work were being constructed in traditional ways drawing on women's perceived 'soft skills'. 'Hybrid' roles combining technical and traditionally female skills were seen as the way forward. These were presented as a new way for women to work in a male dominated environment without compromising their gendered identity. The article confirms and develops, in an IT context, the challenges inherent in changing gendered occupational roles and we conclude that traditional expectations and contexts persist.