Belonging Beyond Code: Queer Software Engineering and Humanities Student Experiences

TL;DR

This study addresses the problem of belonging and visibility for queer students in heteronormative fields by comparing 165 queer software engineering students and 119 queer humanities students using a mixed-methods questionnaire. It leverages validated scales to measure outness, campus climate, sense of belonging, and dropout considerations, complemented by open-ended responses, and analyzes the data with nonparametric tests, regression, ANOVA, and thematic coding. Key findings show that queer software engineering students have a lower sense of belonging and are less out to faculty and peers than their humanities peers, yet they display greater determination to persist; humanities students report more positive climate but higher dropout thoughts, highlighting distinct disciplinary dynamics. The results imply that software engineering could borrow humanities-like inclusive practices (visibility, inclusive language, supportive policies, and social communities) to foster a more welcoming environment, with practical implications for university policies and curricula to support queer students in both technical and humanities contexts.

Abstract

Queer students often encounter discrimination and a lack of belonging in their academic environments. This may be especially true in heteronormative male-dominated fields like software engineering, which already faces a diversity crisis. In contrast, disciplines like humanities have a higher proportion of queer students, suggesting a more diverse academic culture. While prior research has explored queer students' challenges in STEM fields, limited attention has been given to how experiences differ between the sociotechnical, yet highly heteronormative, field of software engineering and the socioculturally inclusive humanities. This study addresses that gap by comparing 165 queer software engineering and 119 queer humanities students experiences. Our findings reveal that queer students in software engineering are less likely to be open about their sexuality, report a significantly lower sense of belonging, and encounter more academic challenges compared to their peers in the humanities. Despite these challenges, queer software engineering students show greater determination to continue their studies. These insights suggest that software engineering could enhance inclusivity by adopting practices commonly seen in the humanities, such as integrating inclusive policies in classrooms, to create a more welcoming environment where queer students can thrive.

Figures (3)

• Figure 1: Level of outness of queer students.
• Figure 2: Comparison of sense of belonging between queer software (SE) and humanities (HA) students.
• Figure 3: Students' thoughts about dropping out of their field.