Welcome to FemTechNet!

-Greeting-Introductions -FemTechNet: What is it?

- Why Feminism & Technology? - Example of current project -Initiatives & timeline of events so far-UCHRI initiative = UCFemTechNet

-Next steps: Discussion

FemTechNet: what is it?

A global network of scholars and artists who work at the intersections of feminism, science and technology, media studies, and the arts

Key objectives

To critically examine design and uses of technologies, within a robust discussion of history, culture, and politics

To expand participation in discussions about feminist engagement with technology and science

To demonstrate feminist contribution to technological innovation

To contribute to the digital archive of the history of technology and science

Why Feminism and Technology ?

Cultural inattention to the general history of technology and science

Lack of discussion of the contribution of feminist theory to technocultural innovation, collaboration, contestation, critique, strategic failure

Cultural and professional neglect of the historical relationship between gender, sexuality, and technological innovation, contestation, etc.

Weak connections between equity feminists and feminist theorists

General suspicion of theoretical and critical projects & of the “ideological” weight of feminism

Uneven curricular coverage in conventional disciplines; Corporate structures of many for-profit MOOCs

Example of a current FemTechNet project…

Co-ordinators:

Alexandra JuhaszProfessor of Media StudiesPitzer College, Los Angeles

and

Anne BalsamoDean of the School of Media StudiesNew School for Public Engagement, New York

Initial CommitmentsKey Opportunities

•Extensive global network of feminist experts in science and technology

•Deep history of innovative feminist engagement with technology

•Cross-disciplinary dispersion of feminist expertise

•Feminist design thinking

•History of innovative pedagogical practice among feminist teachers

•New digital technology infrastructures

Feminist Learning Design2013 DOCC: Dialogues in Feminism and Technology

Approaches the creation of a MOOCfrom the perspective of feminist STS and media arts

Ten Week Course: September – November, 2013

Ten – Twelve VIDEO DIALOGUES

Shared Learning Materials: BOTLs

Collaborative Learning Activity: STORMING WIKIPEDIA

Differential Participation: NODAL classes

DOCC: 1st Iteration ScheduleDialogues in Feminism & Technology

Fall 2012: Networking, Fundraising, Wikipedia analysis

Spring 2013: Beta Courses

Spring 2013: Prepare Video Dialogues

Summer 2013: Material Preparation, Instructors’ Workshop

Sept – Nov 2013: DOCC Launch

FemTechNet: initiatives

Support feminist criticism in relation to science and technology topics in the classroom and in research

Develop collaborative online course on gender and technology by spring 2013

Develop online networks and resources focused on feminism, science and technology

Wikistorm - develop sessions to integrate feminist techno-science scholars into wikipedia

Grant-writing to support ongoing teaching and research collaboration 

FemTechNet: Timeline of Events so far

Decades of feminist critiques of science and technology

Development of FemBot Collective (Carol Stabile)

Spring 2012 :Formation of FemTechNet listserv

Meeting at USC to discuss development of gender and technology course (funded by Alex Juhasz’s Claremont College grant) 

UC group led by Lisa Cartwright applied for and received grant from UC Humanities Research Institute to support FemTechNet in the UC system

FemTechNet: Timeline of Events so far cont…

May 2012 Meeting in NY at Visual Culture Conference

Meeting in Phoenix at ICA

October 2012 Meeting in Copenhagen at SHOT/SSSS to discuss FemTechNet group

Meeting at UCLA to discuss FemTechNet group and plan UCHRI supported event for spring

Meeting at Claremont College to do wikistorm and grant-writing

UCHRI & FemTechNet

“One of the aims of the proposed UC Feminist Technology Network working group is to grasp exactly what forms and alliances are possible and necessary for the productive advancement of new work in the current remediated forms of feminist practice on and with technology, regardless of our other disciplinary differences. This requires considerable dialog concerning the state of feminist practice and theory in light of the place of technology not only as an object of study, but also a set of modalities of mediation in our scholarly, critical, and pedagogical practice.”

UCHRI Proposal

(full doc available as pdf)

UCHRI & FemTechNet

Crossing disciplinary boundaries:– Among STS and humanities-based film and media

studies and digital arts and humanities– Between computation/ informatics and

humanities

• Examples of other crossovers? • Strategies to work together more and better?

Feminist scholarship on technology transformed two fields in the late 20th century: science and technology studies (STS), and film and television studies.

• What established or emerging fields still need feminist transformation today? What is the state of feminist STIM (science technology information medicine) in UC network now?

• What new challenges might emerging fields pose for feminist theory? Disability studies, design studies, innovation studies...

UCFemTechNet: Next Steps

Are there other partnerships that can be forged?

How can we continue to solidify and strengthen the network in the UC?

What items should be added to our list of initiatives?

What kind of UC event shall we plan for spring of 2013?

2013 4S in San Diego?

Thank you!Background and MORE information:

https://quote.ucsd.edu/ucfemtechnet/ [Currently in Beta]

Twitter handle : @ucfemtechnethttp://www.facebook.com/ucfemtechnet

http://fembotcollective.org/

http://fembotcollective.org/femtechnet/femtechnet-useful-documents/

http://dmlcentral.net/blog/liz-losh/learning-failure-feminist-dialogues-technology-part-i

http://dmlcentral.net/blog/liz-losh/learning-failure-feminist-dialogues-technology-part-ii