A Differentiated Diversity: Demographic Patterns and Contextual Delineations in U.S. Computing

The past several decades have seen enormous growth in the computing sciences, marked by increased educational and professional opportunities. Noting the implications of these opportunities for individual life chances and for social and economic developments, we explore demographic patterns in terms of varying representation in computing in the United States (U.S.). Using currently available data to delineate the demography of U.S. computing, the analysis points to deeply institutionalized and contextually embedded factors and relationships affecting educational and workforce participation and inclusion. Findings confirm that, despite growth in the number of computer science degrees awarded in the United States, the demographic diversity of degree recipients has been slow to change. Moreover, the U.S. advanced-degreed computing workforce is less diverse than workforce segments with lower educational credential requirements. Such findings are presented not merely relative to questions of numerical representations but also in terms of the sociocultural and institutional processes that determine participation and inclusion in computing.