Technology Diary – 10/3
For this week’s Technology Diary, I read Haraway’s “A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century,” and I was hit with an idea almost immediately when I saw the line, “Modern science is also full of cyborgs, of couplings between organism and machine, each conceived as coded devices, in an intimacy and with a power that was not generated in the history of sexuality” (1). I thought of pace-makers and a little later on I thought of the birth control implant & IUD, because those are intimate relationships with a machine inside humans who wish to continue living healthy lives without inconvenience. Later on I read that “the relation between organism and machine has been a border war. The stakes in the border war have been the territories of production, reproduction, and imagination. This chapter is an argument for pleasure in the confusion of boundaries and for responsibility in their construction” (1). That sentence made think once again of birth control, especially because of the control of one’s own reproduction. I decided to focus on birth control after I read in the “Informatics of Domination” that eugenics and population control were opposites on the scale of natural and unnatural (7).
While birth control has been used by millions of individual women to control when they reproduce, it has also been used as a weapon against both sex and race. Women in several countries back in the 1970s and 1980s were forced to receive Depo Provera injections and essentially stop reproducing by force, regardless if they want to or not. While ‘eugenics’ and ‘population control’ are opposites on a scale of naturalness, it was the same idea when it came to the use of birth control for forced sterilization. In this day and age, the use of forced sterilization continues to exist including a case of forced sterilization of women in a California prison population that ended back in 2010.
While birth control is a wonderful piece of technology to prevent accidental production, it can easily be used against women. This is an issue in addition to the denial of birth control which puts a woman at risk for reproducing when she is not emotionally or financially ready.
Technology Diary: Robots
Robots. Before they were even possible, the idea was always obsessed over. Dating back to the early mechanical robots of the renaissance and through the science fiction of the 1960s, and even to today, humans have been completely fascinated by the concept of a robot, so much so that entire mythologies have been created surrounding both the potential harms and triumphs they can create.
Now this is where gender comes in. Robots have an inherent paradox in their gender roles. Robots have no sex, have no biological source for an assigned gender, are made of steel, and do not have any societal standard to live up to, or gender roles to be taught. So based on this they should be completely genderless in their function or associations, but they aren’t.
Because robots are products of the human mind, the creator’s gender roles are thrust unto the machine. For example, men are gendered as dominant and/or destructive. Whether through the fictionalization of Megatron or actual war machines, we have male robots. In the same vein, there are examples of gendered robots to women’s gender roles, like Rosie Jetson (a homemaker robot) of the Jetsons cartoon, or the Fembots (sexy robots that fire weapons out of their lingerie) in Austin Powers. The point is robots are often made to emulate human labor, in doing so we also often assign human gender’s that are associated with them.
This problematizes the symbol of the genderless cyborg that Harraway theorizes.
For reference, the following are pictures/gifs of the robots mentioned:
Megatron
Fembots
Rosie Jetson
Technology Diary 2: Movies
After our class meeting where we talked about Goldie Blox, it made me think about how a lot of things we watch influence our perception. One thing being movies. Gender roles are something that has followed us from our history but even today, the things created by our society even now still reinforce these things. I find it quite interesting to see how movies based on books written in the past compared to the newly created movies differ so much. For those based on classic novels, I often find a lot of romance movies very stereotypical. There’s almost always a damsel in distress that needs to be saved. The girl usually can’t do anything by themselves and there this idea the main male protagonist is the hero that needs to save her. There’s been quite a change in the role of characters as we get to more modernized movies. It’s very common these days to see movies with a strong female protagonist that does everything on her own.
When I watch some of my favorite movies by time order, it’s really easy to see how society has changed and the improvements that have been made. Instead of the female protagonist suddenly getting pregnant and having to stay at home and become a house wife, it’s more like the character will simply give birth, and continue on with where they left off in their lives. The most recent movie I watched, was Cloudy with a Chance of Meatball 2 and the main male character is basically a wimp compared to his girlfriend who’s a meteorologist out battling through tornadoes. Even though we can see a trend of having strong female characters for females, it’s still undeniable that there are still a lot of gender role stereotypes in movies. Even in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatball, the main male protagonist still had to save his girlfriend in the end became she got captured by the enemy. I think it says more about what society likes to watch. These movies that come out are based on what the writers think will be popular.
Technology Diary: Smart Phones
After reading these articles regarding jobs in technology, Facebook, and Sheryl Sandberg and her book Lean In, my thoughts were immediately drawn to the technology of “smart” phones. As Kate Losse quotes from Lean In, “technology extends the weekday.” I think this is very accurate, especially in relation to smart phones. With a smart phone, everyone is always connected to everyone and everything else at all times. On my own phone I have Facebook, Twitter, and my email all constantly sending me notifications – as well as regular text messages and phone calls. Going home isn’t really the same as it was once was – with a break from everything. Even without my computer I am never really alone, never not connected to the outside world. And although I don’t have a full time job by any means, in the past year I’ve definitely caught myself using my phone to check my work email for my various internships.
I think this plays a huge role of the struggle of a working mother in the business world. Is it possible to be really alone with your kids, really focusing all of your time on them if you are constantly connected to work? I remember both of my parents getting emails all the time from their bosses on their phones, and although I was too old for it to make an impact, I feel perhaps this might not have the best effect on younger children who will see their parents being distracted by work even at home, and perhaps won’t feel as if they are being paid attention to. There’s definitely a double standard in the business world where this type of behavior – constantly checking the phone and talking to people from work – could be excused for a male, but women have the extra societal burden of being the primary caregivers of their children. Despite any agreement a woman and her husband may have worked out, she is more likely to be judged for using her smart phone and take time away from her children.
On the flip side, perhaps the smart phone is a good tool to help a working mother better balance her life. Since mothers are usually still the ones expected to take care of children (except in certain cases when couples have a better system worked out), their lives are filled with stress trying to learn to balance. The advent of computers and the internet makes it easier to work from home, and smart phones take it a step further. Perhaps someone can work on the train for a half hour on their phone, and then leave a half hour earlier to perhaps pick a child up from school? Since children of all ages seem to have phones nowadays, maybe the smart phone is a good way for a parent to connect with their child while at work. There are are a lot of different options the smart phone brings, so perhaps it isn’t such a bad thing at all because it makes things easier to juggle.
Technology Diary 3: Cars
Cars are a piece of technology that has become so common that most people would not know what to do without it. It not only helps us get from A to B but has also turned into something of a status symbol as the brand of car you drive can sometimes makes the first impression for you. However, in many ways, cars keep women from gaining equal treatment around the world. In Queering the Color Line, Sommerville talks about how researchers focused extensively on using “data” about physical features to judge gender or racial qualities. African women were said to be more sexually “accessible” because they had larger clitorises than white women. Somerville states, “women’s genetalia and reproductive anatomy held a value and presumably visual key to ranking bodies according to norms of sexualities. ” Since then, scientists have confirmed that many of these 19th century findings have no real evidence and cannot be used to make generalizations about race or gender. However, making up fake scientific data to justify unfair practices is still happening today. In Saudi Arabia, there are no laws explicitly stopping them from driving but women are not given licenses. A conservative cleric went on record to say that driving causes damage to ovaries and can lead to bearing unhealthy children. Sheikh Saleh bin Saad al-Lohaidan, a judicial adviser to an association of Gulf psychologists said “If a woman drives a car, not out of pure necessity, that could have negative physiological impacts as functional and physiological medical studies show that it automatically affects the ovaries and pushes the pelvis upwards” but provided no scientific evidence to back up this claim. Sheikh Abdulatif al-Sheikh, the head of the morality police, admitted that there is nothing in Sharia law that bans women from driving. This false argument that driving can cause reproductive issues is being used as propaganda to continue the policy of preventing women from being able to drive. Not allowing women to have driver’s licenses goes hand in hand with the policy that makes them have a male family member accompany them whenever they leave the house. Cars are being used as a method of controlling women in Saudi Arabia which is important to remember because being able to have the convenience of going wherever you want with your car is a basic human right we take advantage of everyday.
Source: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/29/saudi-arabia-women-drivers-ovaries
Technology Diary 2: Big Machinery
As I sat down to write this blog post, I realized that my blog posts in the technology diary are probably very different than those of my other classmates. Being the only man in the class, I find myself comparing the usage of technology from a man’s perspective to that of a woman’s, rather than just discussing the relationship between feminism and technology.
Regardless, this week I want to talk about something that is very stereotypically male, an obsession with big machinery. This is probably one of the biggest male gender roles out there, but I often find it to be true. I even find myself (even from a young age) having a strange attraction to cars, construction equipment, and other large machinery. I think some of this can be contributed to what Rosser said when discussing the different theories of feminism; men’s usage of technology is representative of their outlook of the world, to conquer and shape aggressively, and thus machinery that does that is appealing. But this is not he sole reason, part of it, I think, can also be attributed to men historically being the designers and operators of these types of technology and it thus becomes so closely weaved into our gender roles that it lacks a real explanation.
But then there are outliers. There are men who are completely disinterested by these types of technology, and women who are completely fascinated by it. It could be a social anomaly lacking a single explanation, or it could be the antithesis of the stereotypical male obsession with big machinery. Regardless I’d like to open up the discussion to the community.
Technology Diary: Books
The piece of technology I chose to discuss today is one that people probably do not associate as “technology” anymore, but I believe that books were one of the first forms of technology as they helped to spread new ideas. The two readings assigned specifically focused on the categories assigned to people based on sexual orientation and race. As referred to in the Somerville reading, scientists wished to categorize people, especially women, by their sexualities and races, and connected these two concepts to the appearance of their genitalia. Books have always been considered extremely good for a society, and higher literacy rates usually mean a wealthier and more successful society. However, these research “experiments” are perfect examples of how books and scientific journals and other outlets of “higher learning” can harm rather than help. People were so desperate to learn in the name of “science” that they ended up exploiting those who they were studying (like Sarah Baartman). All of this was done in the name of education, and the findings, however skewed they were, were used to “educate” the masses in the literate Western world.
I love books and education – especially education about people. I have always found myself fascinated by scientific studies in the field of anthropology and psychology, and it’s clear that in the past few hundred years, others shared my interest. However, sometimes what scientists believe to be true, what they have “discovered” in their “research” may not be true at all, which is why it is important to look at everything we read with an open and questioning mind. During the time of these studies discussed in the Somerville reading, these studies supported what is referred to as “scientific racism.” Books involving scientific research were a very gendered form of technology, as they were mostly aimed towards (white) men, while “novels” and “romances” were aimed towards (white) women. So many people were learning extremely racist concepts and ideas, backed up by “science.” It definitely makes me think of books in a different way, because what could I be learning now that is only a result of pseudoscience and preconceived notions? On the bright side, people are learning new things every day because of books, new things that leave us with more open minds instead of closed ones. Overall, I think that books are a great form of technology, but it is very interesting to think about how they can also lead to something bad.
Technology Diary (9/26)
Alas, there is something called “revenge porn” and it exists. As if the pornography industry couldn’t get any misogynistic… In case you are unfamiliar with the term, revenge porn is when angry (and often male) exes post their exes’ nudes or videos that were sent to them in confidence during the relationship online for all to see and…enjoy. This is quickly becoming what was a niche industry to mainstream category of porn as revenge porn websites make a lot of money off of traffic and ad space sales.
If this wasn’t already a huge invasion of privacy, some websites even allow exes to post the woman’s address and contact information. This has led to some women being stalked by strangers who recognize their photos, losing/quitting their jobs, changing their appearance, and even changing their names.
Unfortunately and maybe not surprisingly, there has been little done legally against the people participating in this growing business. Lawyers defending these men are claiming that their first amendment rights protect them, even though these images are not their own. They were stolen from these women; the pictures were not theirs to share. Similar ideologies of victim-blaming are being used to justify the disgusting actions of these men. Arguments of how she shouldn’t have taken pictures in the first place and how at the time, she gave them willingly run rampant in defenses.
However, these girls are fighting back with good lawyers! These individual cases have teamed up for a collective cause and fighting on the grounds of invasion of privacy, copyright infringement, and even child pornography! The movement to end revenge porn has been slow to start, but California just passed its first law revenge porn sites even if it only entails some jail time or a fine. New Jersey also has a criminalizing law, however not specifically addressing revenge porn.
Just to leave a sour taste on your tongue, Hunter Moore (creator of revenge porn site isanyoneup.com) said in an interview in response to if he had any qualms profiting from public revenge, “why would I? I get to look at naked girls all day.”
Angry and outraged? Help End Revenge Porn. (endrevengeporn.org)
Technology Diary 2: The Menstrual Cup
Having just begun my menstrual cycle earlier today, I have decided to write this week’s technology diary on an invention that has drastically improved the tumultuous relationship I have with my period; the menstrual cup. I first heard about this device through a friend whose aunt had gifted her one in our freshman year of high school. At first, I was utterly appalled by the idea of walking around town with a cup of blood sloshing around inside of me, and still, I was more than eager to get my friend’s feedback. Well, she loved it, and that was that, or, goodbye tampons, for the both of us, forever.
To provide a brief history, the first modern menstrual cup was invented by a woman named Leona Chalmers around 1937 (just shortly after commercial tampons hit the market in the 1920’s and those with applicators in the 1930’s) (“A History of the Menstrual Cup”). But an even earlier prototype, the Catamenial Sack, which never seems to have made it to commercial production, was patented in 1867 by a man named S. L. Hockert (“Catamenial Sack (American) from 1867”).
In my own experience, menstrual cups have proved to be an incredible alternative to tampons and pads. Environmental waste and cost are both drastically reduced with menstrual cups, most of which cost around $40 and last between 5 and 10 years, whereas tampons and pads require continuous purchase and disposal throughout a woman’s lifetime. In addition to having a negative environmental impact, tampons are harsh on the female body from being bleached and soaked in chemicals prior to use. And in terms of blood capacity, menstrual cups can contain up to four times as much blood as tampons can absorb, and yet, menstrual cups have never been connected to cases of Toxic Shock Syndrome. (“Why Use the Lunette Menstrual Cup?”).
Another aspect of menstrual cups that I feel is important to highlight is related to the more personal aspect of menstruation. Many women feel their periods are a hassle. I certainly feel burdened by the maintenance required to keep up with my flow. Nearly all my underwear is stained from past cycles, and my mattress, too, is permanently marbleized by various rings of red. And yet, after switching to the menstrual cup, these things stopped bothering me. The joy that comes from emptying a full cup of crimson fluid on the first day of my cycle, to the curiosity surrounding the murky globs of uterine lining that are discharged towards its end, add an exciting and empowering element to having one’s period, one I never expected would be possible.
Works Cited
“Catamenial Sack (American) from 1867.” Museum of Menstruation and Women’s Health. Harry Finley, 1998. Web. 25 Sept. 2013.
“Early Commercial Tampons.” Museum of Menstruation and Women’s Health. Harry Finley, 2006. Web. 25 Sept. 2013.
Heli. “History of Menstrual Cups.” Lunette. Lunette, 6 Mar. 2012. Web. 25 Sept. 2013.
“A History of the Menstrual Cup.” Museum of Menstruation and Women’s Health. Harry Finley, 1997. Web. 25 Sept. 2013.
“Why Use the Lunette Menstrual Cup?” Lunette. Lunette, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2013.
Technology Diary 2: Birth Control
The piece of technology I would like to speak about for this week is Birth Control. When it first came out, different forms of birth control allowed women to take control of their reproductive decisions and it was met with a lot of stigma from society. Women who used diaphragms or went on the pill were looked down upon as “whores” and some health care professionals who gave out forms of birth control, particularly those who worked with universities and other academic institutions, were threatened with termination of contract if they continued handing these items out to their patients. We have come a long way since then and now women have control with easier access to contraceptives. Politics comes into play often and a woman’s right to choose comes into question way to often but Planned Parenthood has a lot to boast about.
My question is that with a pill for women, why do we not yet have a pill for men? There are so many products that enhance the sexual experience for men or help them go for longer periods of time so I do not understand why there is not enough funding for research to find something that would prevent sperm from being released besides just a condom. The pill for women started as an increase in control but has quickly turned into sole responsibility of the female. Making a pill for men would mean that they would now have to share the responsibility if something were to go wrong.
The other factor is the modes of birth control that exist for men is mainly used superficially, meaning that a condom is temporary assistance that fits like a glove. The pill on the other hand has to do with hormonal changes and if a woman is not on the right form of the pill or the patch or any other type that delivers chemical signals, the side effects can be really harmful. The birth control disclaimers always warn to stop use if thoughts of suicide begin forming. Why must women put such powerful things in her body to ensure that she does not have a child before she is ready. As we speak about traditional gender roles and how they need to be broken, we must bring the issue of birth control to the men as well. Women need to work and the age women are deciding to have children is getting older. The responsibility must be on both the male and the female equally and if such a pill was devised, it would help share the responsibility and further decrease the chances of an unplanned pregnancy.
