Our mission is to unlock human potential by training a diverse, inclusive student body to succeed in high-fulfillment technical careers.
- Reflect on intersectionality and how your identity impacts your experiences and interactions with others
- Develop greater empathy and awareness of the experiences of others in the field of software development
Step 1: Watch this video from Google.
Step 2: If you are unfamiliar with the term "Implicit Bias," take time to read this article to build your background knowledge.
Create a gist on Github and reflect (4-6 sentences) on the following questions:
- What were your reflections from the video?
- In what ways have you examined your implicit biases before coming to Turing?
- What kind of software do you imagine building in the future? How will understanding biases (or avoiding understanding biases) impact your products?
I don’t - and never will - have all the answers, nor do I want to. People are stronger together, and when we are able to open up a discourse around decisions that impact not only the product we make or the company we work for, but also the people who the product or company impacts, everyone wins.
In my previous job as a product manager for a company that manufactures fitness equipment, I worked closely with our technical team as they were developing UIs for our touchscreen interfaces. I always tried to bring a fresh perspective to the work we were doing by analyzing:
- the type of language being used (is it inclusive or exclusive?),
- the types of imagery being used (for example in the avatars we make available, or
- background imagery being used),
- and even in the colors being used in the designs (how would someone with different types of colorblindness view this?).
I definitely foresee myself working on customer-facing products, and I plan on continuing to question my own role in maintaining or eliminating biases, I plan on maintaining an open mind, and encouraging an open discourse about the problem we think we’re solving, how we plan on solving that, for whom, and how the people and processes involved impact that.
If you are unfamiliar with the term "Intersectionality," take time to read this article to understand the theory and introduction of the concept. If you are familiar, move to the reflection questions.
On your same gist, reflect on the following quesitons:
“All of us live complex lives that require a great deal of juggling for survival,” Carty and Mohanty said in an email. “What that means is that we are actually living at the intersections of overlapping systems of privilege and oppression.”
- When you consider the way you move through the world, what elements of your identity are you most aware of on a daily basis?
- What strengths does your identity give you? How will you utilize those at Turing?
- How do you think you could value the identities of those around you to bring out their strengths at Turing? Has there been a time where you were able to advocate or include people around you?
- How will your strengths impact you as a teammate? What will you bring to your cohort?
I am aware that I am a 35-year-old woman, who has never been married, has no children, who cares about the earth, suffers from mental disabilities, is also an atheist, has no money or assets, no great accomplishments to speak of, one close friend, and a shaky family support system. Even though these characteristics could sound negative, I see the strength they give me and how they will help me achieve my goals:
- I am experienced. I have gained more knowledge throughout my personal and professional history that I am able to build off of to have a greater impact on everything that I do.
- I have lived through things most people will never experience. I understand what it takes to remain vigilant and get through difficult times.
- I have no one and nothing stopping me but me. Nothing is tying me down or holding me back except my own limitations. It’s up to me to find what out exactly what those are.
- I still have drive and determination and the will to fight for the things I believe in, and the life I know I deserve.
I am also aware of qualities such as the empathy and sympathy I have for people, my innate creativity, incessant curiosity, my persistence, my ability to listen, to learn, my observant and perceptive nature, my sense of humor, and my ability to weather any storm that comes my way.
Every single thing I’ve mentioned will help me be the best student and teammate that I can be. I have a lot to contribute as a teammate and plan on being an active part of both mine and my cohort-mates’ success at Turing.
I will always do my best to be mindful of the identities of those around me, though I recognize that it can be difficult to put into practice 100% of the time. Whatever I do, I try to be inclusive and mindful of those around me, and those not around me. I actually had someone write me a really nice letter when I left my last job thanking me for standing up against overt racism by senior management, and making her feel welcome and empowered. I didn’t do what I did for praise, I did it because it was the right thing to do, and having a diverse team and empowering them makes us all better.
Great work here. I like how driven and determined you are. Just remember you are not alone if things get tough, people in your cohort, other Turing students, alum, instructors can all be good resources to handle the stress.