Week 3 Reflection
Climate Justice, Digital Activism, and Gender, Prof. Frances Roberts-Gregory
By Cormac Madden, 1/30/2019
This week's readings were, as promised, extremely dense and heavy in theory. Donna Haraway's "Situated Knowledges" focuses on the question of objectivity and how it is explored in feminist studies. She highlights that the knowledge and perspective of any one person is different from any other, and presents feminism as a critical vision of these situated perspectives and how they play out in "unhomogeneous gendered social space." Eulalia Pérez Sedeño also addresses the intersection between gender and knowledge in "Gender: The Missing Factor in STS." In her critique of STS, or Science and Technology Studies, Pérez Sedeño outlines how the field has long ignored feminist criticism, the history of female scientific figures, and how technology is used in the private sphere. As a result, she argues, our understanding of how technology and gender interact is seriously lacking. Just as Haraway argues for the exploration of critical perspectives in feminist criticism, Pérez Sedeño argues for the necessary inclusion of this feminist criticism in the field of STS. In "Civic Science for Sustainability," Karin Bäckstrand also argues for inclusion in the sciences, specifically the inclusion of citizen input in the science-politics interface. This argument for inclusion is, of course, intimately linked to the inclusion of voices that are often ignored in techno-sciences and politics, including the feminist perspective for which Bäckstrand argues.
By Cormac Madden, 1/30/2019
This week's readings were, as promised, extremely dense and heavy in theory. Donna Haraway's "Situated Knowledges" focuses on the question of objectivity and how it is explored in feminist studies. She highlights that the knowledge and perspective of any one person is different from any other, and presents feminism as a critical vision of these situated perspectives and how they play out in "unhomogeneous gendered social space." Eulalia Pérez Sedeño also addresses the intersection between gender and knowledge in "Gender: The Missing Factor in STS." In her critique of STS, or Science and Technology Studies, Pérez Sedeño outlines how the field has long ignored feminist criticism, the history of female scientific figures, and how technology is used in the private sphere. As a result, she argues, our understanding of how technology and gender interact is seriously lacking. Just as Haraway argues for the exploration of critical perspectives in feminist criticism, Pérez Sedeño argues for the necessary inclusion of this feminist criticism in the field of STS. In "Civic Science for Sustainability," Karin Bäckstrand also argues for inclusion in the sciences, specifically the inclusion of citizen input in the science-politics interface. This argument for inclusion is, of course, intimately linked to the inclusion of voices that are often ignored in techno-sciences and politics, including the feminist perspective for which Bäckstrand argues.
Personally, I found this week's writings far less accessible than the readings of weeks past. Despite its density, I most enjoyed Haraway's article and its stress on the importance of understanding varied perspectives. As I have progressed through my education as both a student and a person, this notion has become increasingly important to me and my understanding of human decency and empathy. While I cannot claim to understand all of Haraway's argument, its central points still resonated with me. I also found Bäckstrand's critique of STS to be particularly compelling. I am personally amazed that I have never heard the gender dynamics of technology and science discussed before taking this course, and I believe that it is inarguable that non-cis male voices be included in discussions over the future and effects of science and technology.
Key Terms
Situated Knowledges: As defined by Haraway (1988), the knowledge of one particular person based on their partial perspective and history.
STS: Science and Technology Studies. The field studies the interaction between science and technology and our society (Pérez Sedeño, 2001).
Civic Science: A field that argues for increased participation and democratization of the sciences (Bäckstrand, 2004).
References
Bäckstrand, Karin. 2003. "Civic Science for Sustainability: Reframing the Role of Experts, Policy-Makers and Citizens in Environmental Governance." Global Environmental Politics, 3:4, 24-41.
Haraway, Donna. 1988. "Situated Knowledges: The Science Question in Feminism and the Privilege of Partial Perspective." Feminist Studies, 14:3, 575-599.
Pérez Sedeño, Eulalia. 2001. "Gender: The Missing Factor in STS." Visions of STS.
Key Terms
Situated Knowledges: As defined by Haraway (1988), the knowledge of one particular person based on their partial perspective and history.
STS: Science and Technology Studies. The field studies the interaction between science and technology and our society (Pérez Sedeño, 2001).
Civic Science: A field that argues for increased participation and democratization of the sciences (Bäckstrand, 2004).
References
Bäckstrand, Karin. 2003. "Civic Science for Sustainability: Reframing the Role of Experts, Policy-Makers and Citizens in Environmental Governance." Global Environmental Politics, 3:4, 24-41.
Haraway, Donna. 1988. "Situated Knowledges: The Science Question in Feminism and the Privilege of Partial Perspective." Feminist Studies, 14:3, 575-599.
Pérez Sedeño, Eulalia. 2001. "Gender: The Missing Factor in STS." Visions of STS.
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