Women’s career development in the information technology and computing sector in Argentina: How counterspaces cultivate self-efficacy

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of social environments in women's career development in Information Technology and Computing (ITC) by examining how two distinct environments—workforce development programs and informal online communities—shaped the career development of postsecondary female students in Argentina. We drew on self-efficacy and counterspaces to frame the study. Our data came from in-depth interviews with 29 women who were studying or had graduated from college. We analyzed the data using iterative coding, which enabled us to apply our framework. All had completed short workforce development programs and were members of informal, online communities for women in ITC. We found that when counterspaces fostered a sense of safety and belonging, they enabled women to take risks and engage in mastery experiences. Second, we found that the counterspaces helped the women build or join a supportive community, providing them with vicarious learning experiences and verbal persuasion. Finally, when the counterspaces provided all three benefits to women—a supportive community, safety and belonging, and the mitigation of stereotypes—the women experienced emotional arousal. We conclude the manuscript by connecting our findings to the extant literature and suggesting directions for future research.