Networking to Nowhere: How Gender Inequality Persists in Tech
FORTHCOMING IN JUNE 2026 (UC PRESS)
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.
ETHEL MICKEY
I am a sociologist and I study gender inequalities in the workplace, with a focus on innovation industries like tech and academic science. I am an Assistant Professor of Sociology at California State University, San Bernardino and a faculty affiliate of Stanford University's VMware Women's Leadership Innovation Lab.
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My research portfolio includes two NSF-funded projects, publications in Gender & Society, Social Problems, Work and Occupations, and Gender, Work & Organization, among others. My work has been recognized by the American Sociological Association and Sociologists for Women in Society.
I regularly teach sociology courses on research methods, education, science & technology, and gender.
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READ the latest coverage of my research on Inside CSUSB: "Progressive Parents, Traditional Patterns."​​
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FOLLOW along on LinkedIn
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EMAIL ethel.mickey@csusb.edu