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

Christiane Floyd · Govind Kelkar · Silvie Klein-Franke · Cheris Kramarae · Cirilia Limpangog

June 2013 · Schriftenreihe der internationalen Frauenuniversität "Technik und Kultur Book 5 · Springer Science & Business Media

About this eBook

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.

About the author

Christiane Floyd, Professor and Head of the Software Engineering Group at the Informatics Department, University of Hamburg;
Govind Kelkar, Ph.D. in Political Economy, Professor of History and Gender and Development Studies, Consultant for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO);
Silvie Klein-Franke, Ph.D. Immunobiology/Biochemistry; further education in affirmative action;
Cheris Kramarae, Professor, Center for the Study of Women in Society, University of Oregon;
Cirilia P. Limpangog, B.Sc. Mass Communication, Master in Public Administration, post graduate fellow in Germany on 'Gender and Corruption'.