In the era of user-centered design several scholars have started to take a closer look at gender as one of the decisive factors for successful innovation. While technology, and specifically information technology (IT), has become the backbone of almost all industries and a key driver for innovation, women are still largely absent from these fields. They are heavily underrepresented as technology designers and neglected as autonomous users with individual needs. This thesis sets out to demonstrate the importance of gender for technology design; it analyzes the reasons for the lack of women in technology using a feminist perspective, and proposes a number of possible approaches how gender awareness could be increased in IT with a special focus on the organizational aspects of business software design. The findings are based on an in-depth literature review and are validated by means of several case studies of female IT professionals in the global software industry.
The demographic situation in the 21st century as well as the respective literature and research provide clear evidence of the social and economic benefits of increasing the ‘female factor’ in technology design. Women are a key – and heavily underused - driver for innovation, organizational performance and financial success in most companies. Yet, when analyzing the gendered nature of technology it became clear that its inherent masculinity has to a large extent been responsible for the absence and marginalization of women from IT until today. Current approaches to overcome the ‘women-technology-dilemma’ are often either seeking to help women adapt to the male norm or are over-emphasizing feminine connotated values for technology design. The findings in this thesis underline the social constructivist perspective that neither technology nor gender can be taken as fixed and given but are cultural processes subject to negotiations, contestations and transformation. As a consequence, one of the most important prerequisites for the software industry to make sure the results of their application design fit with the needs of a variety of stakeholders, including female users, is the establishment of a gender aware organizational mindset and a respective design framework using gender as a ‘lens’ and apply it every time new applications are being planned and implemented.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Purpose and Research Questions
- Motivation
- Disposition
- Delimitations and Definitions
- Feminism
- Political Dimension
- Ideological Dimension
- Chronological Waves
- Criticism and Discussion
- Gender
- Feminist Perspective: Many Truths
- Political Approach: Gender = Sex?!
- Industrial Approach: Managing Diversity
- Scientific Implementation: Gender Studies
- Criticism and Discussion
- Science & Technology
- Science: Discovering and Explaining
- Research: The First Step to Knowledge Acquisition
- Engineering & Technology: Designing Solutions
- Science and Technology Studies
- Criticism and Discussion
- The Relevance of Gender for Technology Design
- Women - A Neglected Target Group
- Social and Economic Benefits of Gender Awareness
- A Question of Fairness and Equality
- Financial Perspectives
- Women as Innovators and New Sources of Revenue
- Purchasing Power and Gender-Aware Marketing
- Increased Organizational Performance
- The Gendered Nature of Technology
- Feminist Lenses
- Science and Technology - Social Phenomena
- Technology and Masculinity
- History, Culture, and the Sexual Division of Labor
- Symbols, Dichotomies, and the Use of Language
- Socialization, Education, and Professional Discrimination
- Gendered Design Processes and Artifacts
- Hidden From History
- Patterns of Marginalization
- Great Women in Science and Technology
- Approaches to Solving the 'Women-Technology-Dilemma'
- Liberal Perspective - 'Fix the Women'
- Radical and Socialist Views - Change the Standpoint
- Cyberfeminism – New Technologies = New Opportunities !?
- Social Constructivism – Things Could be Otherwise
- A Closer Look at Information Technology
- What makes IT Special?
- The 'Black Box Phenomenon'
- Gender and Information Technology
- The Absence of Women in IT
- Dictating Most People's Working Lives
- Imbalances in Education and Training
- Disadvantageous Working Conditions
- Professional Discrimination
- Cultural Factors Reinforcing a Male Image
- Gendered by Design?
- Towards Gender Awareness in Software Design
- A Balance of Perspectives
- Masculinity in the Design Process
- Building a Gender Aware Organization
- Management Commitment and Culture
- Gender Workshops and Team Development
- Implementing a Gender Aware Design Framework
- 'As-Is' Analysis
- New Setting
- Reality Check: Gender and the Software Industry
- Interview Framework
- Profiles / Case Studies
- Anja, 26 Years - User Interface Designer
- Barbara, 47 Years - User Experience Designer
- Christa, 45 Years - Software Product Owner
- Maria, 46 Years - Design Consultant and Trainer
- Interview Results
- Educational and Professional Development
- Organizational Recommendations
- 'From Woman to Woman'
- The underrepresentation of women in technology and its impact on innovation.
- The social and economic benefits of increasing the 'female factor' in technology design.
- The inherent masculinity of technology and its role in marginalizing women from IT.
- The need for a gender-aware organizational mindset and design framework in software development.
- The importance of considering the needs of diverse stakeholders, including female users, in software design.
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This thesis aims to demonstrate the significance of gender in technology design, particularly in the field of business software. It explores the reasons behind the underrepresentation of women in technology using a feminist perspective and proposes approaches to enhance gender awareness within IT.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introduction sets the stage by defining key terms like feminism and gender, and establishing the importance of considering gender in technology design. Chapter 2 delves into the social and economic benefits of increasing gender awareness in technology, highlighting women's potential as innovators and their underutilized role in driving organizational performance. Chapter 3 examines the gendered nature of technology through a feminist lens, analyzing the historical and cultural factors that have led to women's marginalization in IT. Chapter 4 focuses on building a gender-aware organization and implementing a design framework that incorporates gender perspectives in software development. Chapter 5 provides real-world insights from interviews with female IT professionals, highlighting their experiences and offering recommendations for improving gender inclusivity in the software industry.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This thesis explores the intersection of gender, technology, and innovation, focusing on the underrepresentation of women in IT and the need for a gender-aware approach to software design. Key terms and concepts include feminist theory, gender studies, social constructivism, user-centered design, organizational culture, and the 'female factor' as a driver for innovation.
- Quote paper
- Henrike Paetz (Author), 2011, Gender and Technology. The “Female Factor” in Software Design, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/296194
