Various existing socioeconomic barriers may significantly limit the amount of access many racial minorities and members of the lower class have to computing resources. These roadblocks can not only impede an individual's physical access to computers and technology, but they can also preclude and hinder an individual's achievement, scholarship, and professional development in the field of computing.

The Price of Technology

Often times, a shear lack of financial resources can prevent an individual from having physical access to computers. Afterall, technology is still relatively expensive when compared to many common household purchases. Moreover, computing technology is not an absolute necessity the way food, clothing, and shelter are. For many lower-income families--a large percentage of which come from racial minority groups--who can barely afford these items, the purchase of a computer is strictly out of the question, as priority items must be secured first.

Decisions to forego computer purchases can result from several other reasons, however. Computers differ extensively from many of today's domestic appliances. Besides requiring a fair amount of monetary expense, they also necessitate a substantial amount of knowledge and mastery. Shopping for a computer can be incredibly complicated and stressful, as individuals unaware of computer terminology can easily get lost in extremely technical jargon which serve no role in communicating what practical tasks a computer can really accomplish. And once purchased, individuals realize that computers may need some sort of set up procedure, which in its own right can be exceedingly complicated and time consuming. Purchasing a computer is a serious investment, and many may feel that their skills are simply not adequate enough to justify such a large outlay of money. All in all, these factors can negatively influence a potential computer buyer from making the purchase, especially those who come from the lower-income brackets who cannot sacrifice the time or money buying, researching, learning, or installing computer systems in the household.

Unfortunately, the impediments many racial minorities and members of the lower class experience with regard to computing can go well beyond those imposed by lack of monetary resources. In fact, they can extend from educational factors such as school characteristics and course taking patterns to more intangible factors such as self-esteem and the presence of role models. Weak foundations in science and mathematics can also have some potentially adverse effects on those who not only want to learn abput computing in a general sense, but wish to study it in academia. In addition, family backgrounds, ethnic traditions, and "subtle racism" can contribute added hindrances to minorities and lower-income members who wish to participate in the fields of computing.

The following pages document some of the specific causes for these barriers as they occur in the home, in our educational systems, and in the workplace. They examine the challenges faced by minorities and lower-income groups, not only as they seek access to computing, but more importantly as they embark on the process of becoming computer scientists.


How School Characteristics Affect Barriers to Computing

Family Background as a Factor of Achievement

The Costs of Higher Education

Case studies: