Feminist Challenges in the Information Age: Information as a Social Resource

405 Pages·2002·42.804 MB·English

by  Christiane Floyd, Govind Kelkar, Silvie Klein-Franke, Cheris Kramarae (auth.), Christiane Floyd (eds.)

Feminist Challenges in the Information Age
Schriftenreihe der Internationalen Frauenuniversitat
»Technik und Kultur«
Band 5
Christiane Floyd et al. (Ed.)
Feminist Challenges
in the Information Age
Information as a Social Resource
Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH 2002
Die Schriftenreihe der Internationalen Frauenuniversităt .. Technik und Kultur"
wird gefordert durch das Niedersăchsische Vorab der VW-Stiftung.
Der vorliegende Band wurde durch die Universităt Hamburg gefordert.
Gedruckt auf săurefreiem und alterungsbestăndigem Papier.
Die Deutsche 8ibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufnahme
Ein Trteldatensatz fOr die Publikation ist bei
Der Deutschen 8ibliothek erhăltlich
ISBN 978-3-8100-3255-3 ISBN 978-3-322-94954-7 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-322-94954-7
© 2002 Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden
Ursprunglich erschienen bei Leske + Budrich, Opladen 2002
Das Werk einschlie81ich aJler seiner Te ile ist urheberrechtlich geschiitzt. Jede Verwertung au
Berhalb cler engen Grenzen des Urheberrechtsgeses ist ohne Zustimmung des Ver1ages
rur
unzulăssig und strafbar. Das gilt insbesondere Vervielfăltigungen, Obersetzungen, Mikro
verfilmungen und die Einspeicherung und Verarbeitung in elektronischen Systemen.
Einband: design agenten, Hannover
Satz: Berthold Druck und Direktwerbunrg, Offenbach
Contents
Marlis DUrkop
Preface ...............•....................•..................................................................... 9
Sandra Harding
Foreword ....................................................................................................... 11
Christiane Floyd, Govind Kelkar, Silvie Klein-Franke,
Cheris Kramarae, Cirila P. Limpangog
Introduction ...................................•.............................................................. 13
Part 1: Building International Learning Communities ........................... 17
Christiane Floyd & Silvie Klein-Franke
The Challenges of Building ijU ...........•..•............••.•••••....•..........•....••........•.•. 19
Christiane Floyd
Students' Motivations for Joining ijU ......•.•••.••.••••..•........•...•....••.....•..• ;......... 37
Govind Kelkar, Cheris Kramarae, Cirila P. Limpangog
The Experience of Living ijU .•....•......•.••...••..........••.•...••..................•............ 41
Sabina Mihelj
Revising Sisterhood: from Unity to Affinity.
The Case of the International Women's University ...................................... 53
Dorcas Mofoluwake Akande
Linguistic Expressions Connecting Women Across Cultures ....................... 67
Part 2: Gendering Information Technology ............................................. 75
Mona El Tobgui & Judith Gregory
Cross-Cultural Cooperation in Designing Information Resources ................ 77
6 Contents
Tone Bratteteig
Bringing Gender Issues to Technology Design............................................. 91
Marsha Woodbury
Women in Computing .................. ........... ........ ............... .... ... ........ ......... ....... 107
Govind Kelkar
Technological Change and Cultural Ceilings ............................................... 119
Part 3: Enhancing Communication ........................................................... 133
Jutta Weber
Cyberfeminism Crossover:
Talking about Intercultural and Interdisciplinary Experiences...................... 135
Antje Eske & Tatjana Beer
Spinning at Computers.................................................................................. 147
Ina Wagner
Imaginative Visualizations: Enriching Women's Workplace Skills ............. 161
Ursula Biemann & Berta Jottar
Performing Borders: Gender and Technology in Diasporic Culture ... ...... .... 175
Part 4: Supporting Cooperative, Interactive Learning ........................... 187
Lisa Link, Therona Moodley, Heike Pienkoss,
Sara Sanchez Mera, Birgit Thies
A Culture of Cooperation: Making the Journey the Destination................... 189
Christiane Floyd
Towards Knowledge Co-construction........................................................... 203
Ingrid Wetzel
Teaching Computer Skills: A Gendered Approach....................................... 223
Cheris Kramarae & Zhang Wei
At Home in Education:
Making Online Education Work for Global Women .................................... 241
Part 5: Networking for Community Development ................................... 253
Karolyn Kerr & Elke Miitschke
Building Virtual Communities:
The Case of a Te1ehealth Project from the South Pacific.............................. 255
Mona Dahms & Edla Faust-Ramos
Development from Within: Community Development, Gender and ICTs.... 267
Contents 7
Lena Trojer
Rhetoric and Realities: Evaluation ofIT Projects ......................................... 285
Tanja Carstensen, Sabine Issa-Beuster, Liane Melzer
Times of the City: The Use ofICTs in Timesaving ...................................... 301
Wendy Harcourt
Strategies for Empowering Women on the Internet ...................................... 311
Part 6: Fostering Democracy...................................................................... 319
Carina Keskitalo & Cirila Limpangog
Visions of Citizenship: Women, Democracy and Information...................... 321
Aleida Calleja
Indigenous Women and Empowerment ........................................................ 339
Irma Avila Pietrasanta
Information Rights and Media Democracy in Times of Globalization.
A Women's and Civil Society's Perspective................................................. 357
Esther Batiri Williams
The Internet in the Service of Democracy........................................... .......... 371
LuiseDruke
Information Technology and Protection of Refugees.................................... 387
Christiane Floyd, Govind Kelkar, Silvie Klein-Franke,
Cheris Kramarae, Cirila P. Limpangog
Resolution...................................................................................................... 397
Mildred Kiconco Barya
Resolution (Poem)......................................................................................... 399
List of Authors .............................................................................................. 40 I
Index.............................................................................................................. 415
Preface
In the last three decades, women's intervention in the social and natural sci
ences, in medicine and technology has introduced new paradigms. We have to
admit that it takes time and energy to influence these fields in a feministic way.
Women do not only work for the growth of knowledge, but also for the trans
formation of knowledge systems. This book is about using knowledge for action
in an interdisciplinary effort focussing on information as a social resource.
Women's approach to the information age is different, as becomes visible in
this book: Women's scholarly explorations include not only developing technol
ogy, but also improving communication and networking, as well as supporting
democratic processes by taking advantage of the tremendous technological op
tions. I am convinced that this approach is vital for living the information soci
ety, and that it will also make fields relating to information technology more at
tractive to women.
This book is the outcome of the Project Area INFORMATION of the Interna
tional Women's University (ifo) held at the University of Hamburg in the sum
mer 2000. As the Deputy Minister for Science and Research of the Free and
Hanseatic City of Hamburg I was responsible for promoting this study program.
The international gathering of 150 participants was a most exciting event. The
experience of ifo has enriched me as a scientist, as a feminist and as a politician.
Events like ifu are politically encouraging. In Hamburg alone, ifu brought
together - counting both faculty and students - women scientists and profes
sionals from more than 60 countries all over the world. We obtained a realistic
and vivid vision of international relations, which has of course always been most
important for the development of science and technology. At the same time we
recognized that the international dimension does also affect this positive vision
adversely, since the broad consequences of economic globalization are going to
benefit only a few nations and multinational companies of the North. The meet
ing of women scientists at ifu proved that another international world is possible,
one which includes the interests of women and the participation of the South.
The realization of the ifo vision requires financial support. This was made
easier for ifu 2000 by the fortunate circumstance that the responsible ministers
on the federal and regional level were women. Since then the political situation
and direction in Hamburg and elsewhere have changed. I hope that the now
governing (mostly male) politicians will also understand the value of the ifo ex
periment and open the way for its continuation in the future.
This book presents and reflects some of the scholarly works, project designs,
strategies and life experiences of the participants during the ifo period and
makes it possible to share them with others. I hope it will be a milestone for a
new beginning.
Hamburg, March 2002
Prof Dr. Marlis Diirkop