Gendered entanglements of human-machine interferences

Beschreibung

This paper wants to contribute to a way of studying gender in technological processes and productions informed by a theory of gender that does not presuppose gender as a given binary or dichotomy. Drawing on the insights of Karen Barad (2007) and Lucy Suchman (2007) I argue that Judith Butler’s approach on performativity of gender (1993) and gender as an apparatus (2004) is useful for the discussion of gendered entanglements of design practices. With her understanding of matter as a dynamic intra-active becoming Barad starts from the entanglement of matter and meaning to investigate innovative research methods for constructive interdisciplinary engagements. Following Suchman, the human-machine-interface is a dynamic process of materialization, in which meanings can change. This means, although newly developed technological objects need to be recognized in their envisioned cultural environment, they always carry the possibility to lead beyond the replication of accredited norms. From this follows that gendered subjects and objects can experience in interaction new practices and new meanings of them, including their gendered meaning. In bringing these perspectives together, the paper claims that by the effort to counteract, to fit or to perform along the norms produced by knowledge and ignorance of gender, sex and sexuality, we all contribute to prove what counts as knowledge at this very moment. The paper argues for a relational epistemological framework and shows, that not only our apparatuses and concepts shape the results, but all involved "subjects, objects, humans and non-humans or inappropriate/d others" depending on each other, mutually shape the understanding of each other and the world.

Zeitraum	18 Okt. 2012
Ereignistitel	Design and displacement - social studies of science and technology. Annual Meeting of the Society for Social Studies of Sciences (4S) and European Associationfor the Study of Science and Technology (EASST)
Veranstaltungstyp	Konferenz
Ort	DänemarkAuf Karte anzeigen