In this episode, I talk to Dr. Sharla Alegria about inequality in the tech workforce. We discuss tech workplace culture, the relationship between ethics and equality, and Sharla explains why robots aren't really taking your job--but growing culture of inequality might.

Dr. Alegria earned her Ph.D. in Sociology with a certificate in Women, Gender, and Sexuality studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2016 and joined the faculty at the University of Toronto in 2019. She teaches classes on work; race, class, and gender; science, knowledge, and technology; stratification and inequality. Sharla’s research on inequality in the new economy, knowledge-based work examines tech work to understand why women’s representation in computing jobs has decreased since the early 1990s despite public and private sector investment. Beyond tech work, her research examines race and gender inequality in workplaces and institutions invested in diversity and equity. Her award-winning research appears in American Journal of Sociology, Gender & Society, and Ethnic and Racial Studies.

We are currently in the middle of a series of live events on ethics and technology, scheduled for the next few weeks. On May 25, we will host a screening of the new documentary, Coded Bias, followed by a Q and A with the director, Shalini Kantayya, and All events are free, virtual, and open to the public, but space is limited. Check out our “Upcoming Events” page for more information about the events, and to reserve your spot.

Podcast produced by Matt Perry and Ana Marsh.

Podcast Art by Desi Aleman.

Hard at Work: Sharla Alegria discusses inequality in the tech workforce