Since the summer semester of 2006, Bente Knoll has been teaching an introductory lecture at TU Wien on “Gender and Technology.” The relevance of the category of “gender” in technology is highlighted and made visible at various levels within and through the course.
This course provides an overview of the current state of the debate on “Gender in Engineering.” Using selected examples, key areas of research are discussed, and the topic is examined from three perspectives:
- “Women in Science and Technology”: Structural and Symbolic Barriers for Women in These Fields, Proposed Solutions for Entry and Professional Development
- “Science and Technology of Gender”: The Production and Determination of Genderings and Gender Differences in Technological Artifacts
- “Gender in Science and Technology”: meta-analytic approaches to research practice and methodology in the technical sciences; mechanisms of gendering in technical fields of inquiry; theory-building; methods; interpretations of results; and research practices
Course Content:
- Introduction to Gender Theories: Context, Definitions, Debates
- Feminist Critique of Technology: Approaches, Methods, Key Research Questions; Introduction to Gender Theories: Context, Definitions, Debates
- Women in Science and Technology 1 – Women’s Contributions to Science and Technology Throughout History
- Women in Science and Technology 2 – Women Engineers Today: Socialization, College, Profession, Career
- Technology and Constructions of Masculinity, or: “The Engineer”
- Gender and Academic Cultures, or: “What Is Electrical Engineering?”
- Representations of Technology and Engineering
- Gender Analysis of Technological Artifacts
- Gender and Technology Assessment
- Gender Policy Strategies: Managing Gender and Diversity/Anti-Discrimination
- Gender Perspectives in SET (Science, Engineering, and Technology)
After completing the course, students should be able to draw connections to their own academic discipline.
