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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. Drawing on ethnographic research inside a top tech firm, Mickey reveals how “ideal” networking practices like informal referrals, after-hours schmoozing, and bro-bonding over sports reinforce old boys’ clubs that exclude women and people of color. Women, encouraged to lean into formal events, conferences, and diversity programs, often find these efforts go unrewarded, networking them to nowhere.
By exposing how gendered expectations, invisible cultural codes, and even well-meaning corporate DEI programs can deepen inequality, this book offers a powerful new framework for understanding gender and organizations in the contemporary economy—and what it will take to chart a new path forward.
"Networking to Nowhere deftly observes the irony that networking has become a standard of DEI programs even though networks marginalize women. Ethel Mickey's detailed arguments are firmly grounded in existing literature on gendered and racialized organizations yet brought to life through engaging storytelling and vivid characters. This book will resonate with all women working in professional settings, underlining the truth that those who feel stuck in their career progression should not blame themselves for failing to effectively network. Instead, as Ethel Mickey demonstrates, networking itself is the problem."—Christine Williams, author of Gas-Lighted: How the Oil and Gas Industry Shortchanges Women Scientists
"Networking seems like such a benign process, but this book shows how it is imbued with cultural and social expectations that maintain persistent gender disparities. Networking to Nowhere is a timely, incisive look at why the tech industry remains so unwelcoming to women."—Adia Harvey Wingfield, Mary Tileston Hemenway Professor of Arts and Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis
“'Network, network, network' has become the mantra of management gurus advising aspiring workers. Mickey's eye-opening investigation of networking in the tech industry vividly illustrates why networking fails women. Informal networking at happy hours and sports events can lead to harassment for women and promotions for men. The women's employee networks championed by executives burden volunteer leaders, reinforce members' outsider status, and fail to connect members with powerful men who could help them move up. Networking to Nowhere is a great read and a vital call to action."—Frank Dobbin, Henry Ford II Professor of the Social Sciences, Harvard University