2026/02/01 by Jennifer Ashlock, Zeynep Tufekci · 1 voice
Social Sciences · Computer Science · #Gender and Technology in Education #Teaching and Learning Programming #Career Development and Diversity
paper · doi:10.1177/23780231261415954
openalex publication_date 2026/02/01 · openalex created_date 2026/02/13 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/22
Young children are generally enthusiastic about digital technology, yet participation in early computer science pathways remains unequal. Because U.S. children often learn computing outside of school, field-specific knowledge within families may play a greater role than socioeconomic status (SES) in reproducing inequality. The authors evaluate support for the social reproduction and occupational inheritance models by examining middle school students’ interest in computing occupations. Although children’s interest in computing varies by SES, the domain-specific resources of parents who work in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, such as digital skills and home learning practices, appear to have a stronger association with interest. These findings underscore the importance of familial transmission in the reproduction of occupational inequality and inform efforts to address stratification in digital learning.