Case Study
Computing Misogyny
This case study explores the systemic exclusion and mistreatment of women in computing, drawing on Joy Lisi Rankin’s historical analysis of misogyny in the development of the tech industry. Rankin argues that computing did not merely become male-dominated—it became actively misogynist. Her work reframes the history of computing as shaped not only by masculine norms, but also by structures that deliberately devalued, excluded, and harmed women and other marginalised groups.
A central focus of Rankin’s account is the 1983 Barriers to Equality in Academia report, authored by women at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Labs. The report details a hostile environment in which women were routinely pushed off equipment, denied supervision and funding, subjected to sexual harassment, and dismissed as unserious professionals. These experiences, far from isolated incidents, reveal misogyny as a defining force in shaping the discipline.
Rankin extends her analysis to digital culture more broadly, tracing a lineage from early computing systems that featured nude images of women to misogynistic programming “games” like UGLY and BUNNY in widely distributed educational materials. These cultural artefacts were not marginal—they were central to the formation of computing expertise and social norms in the field. Misogyny, she argues, became a structural feature of computing environments, from elite research labs to commercial tech campuses.
By placing this history in the broader context of research’s complicity in upholding systems of oppression, this case demonstrates how research environments and disciplines can entrench exclusion when they fail to critically reflect on their own development. Acknowledging this history is essential for addressing the persistent gender inequalities and cultural toxicity in today’s tech sector.
Misogyny and the Making of the Tech Fratriarchy by Joy Lisi Rankin