School of Communication

CMNS 455-4

 

Monica Salazar	Spring Semester 2003
Burnaby: RCB 6234; 604-291-4788(in Spring) Downtown: HC 140; 604-291-5257	Burnaby Day
email: msalazar@sfu.ca

 

WOMEN AND NEW INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES

Prerequisites:

75 credits including any one of CMNS 253, 353 or 453; CMPT 320; WS 204.

Overview:

In the 1970s technological change came under scrutiny of a wide range of interest groups, communication theorists, and policy practitioners. Research concerned with women and technological change documented that women were affected differently by technology than men, and that, in general, women occupy different positions in technological change process than men. As interest in women and technological change has grown in the last 25 years, the benefits of focusing on gender as a variable of study have extended beyond making women’s experience visible. Focusing on gender offers the possibility of discovering theoretical limitations in the study of gender, society and technology, which, when addressed, have implications that extend beyond the interest of women.

This seminar is designed to allow students interested in new communication and information technologies to explore theoretical issues that arise through consideration of women’s experiences of technological change. Course material and discussion will focus on four related topics:

- Feminist contributions to theories of science, technology and society.
- Women in the information/knowledge age: inclusion or exclusion.
- Women, information technologies and employment.
- Women and the Internet.

Required readings:

A custom courseware package will be available at SFU bookstore and all the readings will be also available on reserve at the Burnaby campus library.

Assignments & Grading:

Participation 20%
Case Study (oral presentation and report) 40%
Final Paper 40%

Suggested case study topics will be provided by the instructor at the beginning of the term. This small research project should be done in teams (4 students maximum per group), based on literature review and practical experience. Students will have to make an oral presentation as well as a written report with the main findings (each is worth 50% of the assignment mark).

Themes for the individual final paper will be proposed by the students, and discussed and approved by the instructor, with the specific bibliography.

The School expects that the grades awarded in this course will bear some reasonable relation to established university-wide practices with respect to both levels and distribution of grades. In addition, the School will follow Policy T10.02 with respect to “Intellectual Honesty” and “Academic Discipline” (see the current Calendar, General Regulation Section).