Women's and Gender Studies (WGST) 546
Gender Culture and Technology (Revision 3)
Delivery Mode: Individualized-Study.
Credits:3
Prerequisite:No formal prerequisite. However, prior background in Psychology and/or Women's Studies would be beneficial.
Precluded Course:WMST 546 cannot be taken if credit has already been obtained for Athabasca University's WMST 446.
Centre:Master of Arts Integrated Studies
Program: Master of Arts Integrated Studies
**Note:Students in Group Study courses are advised that this syllabus may vary in key details in each instance of the course. Always refer to the Moodle site for the most up-to-date details on texts, assignment structure, and grading.**
Introduction
The primary objective of this course is to allow you to explore theory and research informing the study of the complex links between gender and technology. In looking at these links, this course covers 3 major topic areas. The first introduces you to the gender literature that will help you think about the relationships between gender, power, and divisions of labour. The second topic area provides you with a broad overview of the historical development and gendering of technological skills,highlighting the cultural and ideological associations between technology and masculinity. Finally, the third topic area allows you to revisit issues related to the social construction of gender; to examine the associations between gender and information technologies; and to propose solutions to women under-representation in computing and information sciences.
Course Objectives
If you participate fully by studying all assigned materials and completing all of the written assignments, by the end of this course you should have a critical awareness and knowledge of
- personal and social consequences of gender stereotyping;
- how methods of social inquiry affect our understandings and knowledge of women's place in technological societies;
- social, cultural and historical links between women and technology;
- gender differences literature, and how this literature affects understandings about women's interests and aptitudes in technological arenas;
- social and cultural factors contributing to girls' and women's declining interest in computing science;
- the computing "culture" and its effects on women's participation in academic and workplace computing environments as well as on the discipline of computing science; and
- meaningful strategies to negotiate change for women and for the discipline of computing science.
Student Evaluation
You will be evaluated on the basis of six written assignments and one written major project.
To receive credit for WMST 546, you must complete the following criteria:
| Course Activity | Weighting |
|---|---|
| Assignment 1 Critical Analysis (1250 words) | 10% |
| Assignment 2 Critical Analysis (1250 words) | 10% |
| Assignment 3 Critical Analysis (1250 words) | 10% |
| Assignment 4 Critical Analysis (1250 words) | 10% |
| Assignment 5 Critical Analysis (1250 words) | 10% |
| Assignment 6 Critical Analysis (1250 words) | 10% |
| Major Research Project (5000-6250 word) | 40% |
| Total | 100% |
Course Materials
The package you receive should contain each of the items listed below.
Textbooks
- Creager, A., Lunbeck, E., & Schiebinger, L. (Eds.). (2001). Feminism in twentieth-century science, technology, and medicine. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- Hopkins, P. (Ed.). (1998). Sex/machine: Readings in culture, gender, and technology. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press.
- Margolis, J., & Fisher, A. (2002). Unlocking the clubhouse: Women in computing. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
- Webster, J. (1996). Shaping women's work: Gender, employment and information technology. London: Longman.
- Woodfield, R. (2000). Women, work and computing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Athabasca University materials
Course Guide: The Course Guide is a guide designed to help you work your way through the course materials.
Web Sites: You are expected to have Internet access in this course. A number of online articles have been assigned as part of the required readings for each unit. There are also countless World Wide Web sites that can provide a wealth of information about women in relation to computer science and information technology.
Digital Resources: Through Athabasca University's Digital Resource Centre you can access full-text articles from a variety of journals. Of particular relevance for this course are articles found in the online journal database, Contemporary Women's Issues.
Athabasca University Library: Students are encouraged to browse the Library's Web site to review the Library collection of journal databases, electronic journals, and digital reference tools: http://library.athabascau.ca.
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized-study counterparts.
Opened in Revision 3, April 11, 2007.
Last updated by E. Comrie 11/19/2010 16:55:43
