Networking to Nowhere : How Gender Inequality Persists in Tech.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mickey, Ethel.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Women in technology.

Sex discrimination in employment.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (257 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Berkeley : University of California Press, 2026.

Summary:

Why does gender inequality persist in tech--even in workplaces that invest in fixing it? In Networking to Nowhere, sociologist Ethel Mickey uncovers the paradox at the heart of modern tech culture: Networking is hailed as the key to opportunity, yet it systematically works against women. Drawing on ethnographic research inside a top tech firm, Mickey reveals how "ideal" networking practices like informal referrals, after-hours schmoozing, and bro-bonding over sports reinforce old boys' clubs that exclude women and people of color. Women, encouraged to lean into formal events, conferences, and diversity programs, often find these efforts go unrewarded, networking them to nowhere. By exposing how gendered expectations, invisible cultural codes, and even well-meaning corporate DEI programs can deepen inequality, this book offers a powerful new framework for understanding gender and organizations in the contemporary economy--and what it will take to chart a new path forward.

Contents:

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Contents

List of Illustrations

Acknowledgments

1. The Ideal Networker and How Gender Inequality Persists in Tech

2. Men Schmooze, Women Strategize: Unequal Access to Job Leads, Referrals, and Offers

3. "I Don't Personally See a Future Here": Gendered Constraints in Climbing the Corporate Ladder

4. "Down-to-Earth Regular Guys": The Gendered Blueprint of Belonging in Tech

5. Systerhood Stalled: How Corporate Diversity Programs Fail Women in Tech

6. From Solidarity to Self-Help: The Neoliberal Turn in Women's Professional Networks

7. Networking to Nowhere

Appendix A: List of Participants and Demographic Information

Appendix B: Methodology

Notes

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Part of the metadata in this record was created by AI, based on the text of the resource.

ISBN:

0-520-40431-9

OCLC:

1587900840