The Boys on the Tech Bus
Inside the beige, boxy office parks that dominate the landscape of Silicon Valley, programmers are busy inventing the next big thing and getting paid mightily to do so. Energy is high and the hours are long. The reigning principle is that with hard work, passion and a bit of seed money, anyone can become the next Mark Zuckerberg. And if you fail, it’s your own fault.
Yet Silicon Valley also is becoming notable as the latest breeding ground for men who behave badly toward women. The reality is that the vast majority of those cherished programmers are young white males, and the tech industry is starting to look like a rowdy frat house. In overwhelming numbers, women in the tech industry report discrimination, harassment, boorish behavior and hostile workplaces. A series of embarrassing public incidents and legal cases has brought serious questions about Silicon Valley’s behavior toward women.
What is it about the inner workings of tech companies that make some men think this is OK? Experts suggest several possible theories.
Some point to the prevailing wisdom that the tech industry rewards merit above all else, and that anybody with the right kind of skills and determination can succeed — an outlook that can provide a convenient mask for misbehavior.
Other experts identify the “just like me” hiring practices that create clubby “bro cultures” and lead to a lack of appreciation of differences. Still others say the problem stems from
