Technology's Influence on Gender and Sexuality

Feminism

What is it? And what is its purpose?

A political movement concerned with women’s oppression and the means and ways to empower women

To eliminate a long established patriarchal society

Not all societies have a patriarchal view

History

1920—Women’s Suffrage

1968 Bra Burning—protesting Miss America pageant

1980s and ‘90s--Post-Feminism

Technology’s role?

Television and radio helped to spread the ideas of Feminism

Technology’s role now?

Blogs and Internet are the new medium for communication

Feministing

Feministe

Our Bodies Our Blog

Jezebel

Broadsheet

Male dominance in technological fields

20% CS majors

27% in CS jobs

down from 30% a decade ago

The growth of feminism has caused it to shift to post-feminism

Most people generally believe in the idea of women’s rights, but the ideals of feminism is now defined by each individual

 Zack in dress

Zack is late—comes in with dress on

Colette ask class to define Zack’s gender and sexuality from 3 different perspectives

1) First day of class

2) Right now

3) How he perceives it

Gender

Sex vs. Gender?

Is there really a difference?

Historically

gender was defined by cultural appearance

sex was defined by biological appearance

Now?

The line between gender and sex has been blurred due to technology (communication, medical)

Femininity and Masculinity

How do we define our technologies?

Google Glass

YouTube

Smart Board

Yoga Balls

Pebble Watch

GroupMe

Snapchat

Re-Walk

Arduino

Ancestry.com

Autismate

My Fitness Pal

Infrascanner

Wolfram Alpha

23 & me

Everyone’s were different

not everything can be strictly labeled as Male or Female

What is Masculinity and Femininity?

Socially and Self-defined

Reference technology picks.

Reference to Zack in dress

Reference to feminism

What’s blurring the line?

Medical

Sexual Reassignment Surgery

Transexuals increases by 14% each year and the average age is rising--LGBT Health Summit in Bristol UK

Communication

Online dating

The stigma associated with it has completely changed in the past 10 years

Similarly, Instagram and Pintrest

Have molded photography from a male dominated field to a female hobby

Facebook profiles (show a FB profile)

Defining our gender and sexuality

Only allows for Male and Female (no other option), but does allow different sexualities

Appeals to varying sexual orientations but not genders

Sexuality

Differences in sexuality are more culturally accepted than differences in gender

i.e. It’s more socially acceptable to be gay than to be transgender

This is why Facebook allows for a variety of sexual orientations, but not genders

What is sexuality?

Someone’s self defined expression of feelings of desire, attraction, and excitement towards others

When boiled down, it’s a desire for sexual experiences

Do sexuality and gender go hand in hand? –poll the class-

Sexuality is different from gender!

I could decide to only dress like this (im wearing a dress) every day from now on, but still date women (that’s my gender changing)

I could decide to only date boys tomorrow, but continue to want to be a man (that’s my sexuality)

Clearly these aren’t just a decision to be made, but these two instances are very real

Technology’s role?

Created a more post-feminist world

blur the line between sex and gender

defined the difference between gender and sexuality

Thank you for your time!

Postmodernism & the Digital Age

Postmodernism is

• A rejection of the ideals of modernism
• Canonized great literary works and fine art
• A rejection of the categories of  “high art” and “mass media”
• Andy Warhol & pop art
• Encouraged people to find art in everyday life
• Jean-François Lyotard The Post-Modern Condition (1979) which introduced postmodernism into academic study.
• A rejection of metanarratives, or anything that is considered universally true.
• Pluralism
• Value of objects not on their importance to individuals, but to the community as a whole.
• The distinction between popular culture (the culture of the masses) and high culture (the culture of the elite) is relatively lost—therefore we are less capable of distinguishing between “good” and “bad” culture.
• Globalization
• Misconception that globalization is congruent to Americanization, which is the phenomenon in which the attitudes and culture of America matriculates into other international cultures.
• The hybridity of cultures, not the dominance of the American culture over everything else
• The spread of technology is one of the main reasons globalization has been enabled. 

We emphasized these points through three presentations:

The first was a demonstration of plurality and postmodern principles through an activity involving metanarratives formed through the composition of songs and images.


The second was a presentation of the history of postmodernism.

Postmodernism

The third was a presentation on pluralism and globalization.

Fundawear

"Touch me over the Internet!"

This is the kiss transmission device on steroids. Check it out:

http://ifunny.mobi/i/TKKYCMNy

What does this promote? Would you use it?

I see nothing negative it promotes. And yes, I would use it. I'm willing to admit it. I see it restoring a feeling of intimacy over a long distance much better than KTD. 

Thoughts?

Wolfram Alpha

Wolfram Alpha is an online answer engine.  Let it be noted that this differs from Google because Google is a search engine; where Google searches the web and provides links that may answer your search, Wolfram Alpha computes an answer itself.  That is, it provides specific answers to questions, as opposed to providing links to other websites for answers.

Y'all can read more specifics about Wolfram Alpha on the website:
About Section

I believe Rosen would support this technology, because he writes, in iDisorder, "Avoiding an iDisorder does not mean getting rid of your technology.  Most assuredly the solution is about balance and moderation." (15)  This follows what we said in class.  The majority seems to have concluded that it is important to learn mathematical computational skills, but once the computation is understood, the technology may be a beneficial time saver.

23andme

23andme.com is a wonderful resource that allows individuals to explore more than any family tree could tell them. Not only does it help build a family tree based on genetics, but it gives the user power over their own health. Since knowledge is power, it allows you to partake in preventative medicine. 

However, this service proves to have some flaws that could be potentially hurting their business. One main flaw is a lack of good customer support. Many customers complained on other websites such as Amazon, saying to "NEVER use this site" because of the lack of communication between the buyer and the seller. Also this website seems to have less genealogy information than another website like ancestry.com. Another huge flaw is that it has given customers inaccurate data about the readings of their DNA in several instances. This can be terrible for someone who believes their family heritage may be from a whole different continent than where he/she is really from. Many customers reviews spoke for themselves saying that this technology may not be worth it. 

Rosen would not like this technology because you are treating for a disease that you may never have, since 23andme only provides percentages.

Here DARPA goes again...

I just came across this article on Gizmag and I thought I would share it with y'all given the presentation Griffin and I gave on Argus-is earlier in the semester. As you can read in the article, DARPA is currently working on a navigation chip that defeats the limitations of a traditional GPS. We had an interesting debate about the pros and cons of Argus and I'm just curious to know your opinion on this technology. What are the implications? In my opinion, the article presents this chip in a positive light, but do you think it could be used negatively?

http://www.gizmag.com/darpa-timu-gps/27039/

Yoga Balls

So I investigated the Pros and Cons of using Yoga Balls in a classroom setting. From my perspective, the pros outweigh the cons. The use of yoga balls exercises the core muscles, which with repeated use can improve posture. With the core engaged, the body's blood flow increases and allows more oxygen to get to the brain, increasing alertness and concentration. Research also suggests that the younger generation work better when multitasking, so the yoga ball may help in this way as well. Another detail is the cost effectiveness of yoga balls. A yoga ball costs a quarter of what a typical school chair would. 

Some fear that introducing yoga balls will be a distraction to the students, because of mischievous children bouncy and rolling the balls while they should be learning. It has the possibility of a lot of sounds and distractions, as well as possible injuries that may be caused by misuse. Another problem that is encountered in schools is the wastefulness. Why should chairs be replaced by yoga balls if the chairs are still usable?

Rosen would encourage the use of yoga balls as a technology because it is a physical technology instead of a virtual technology like computers or the internet. Also since it is so simple but useful, it would lessen any technology anxiety or OCD someone might have. 

http://prezi.com/oaomcwwffplo/untitled-prezi/?kw=view-oaomcwwffplo&rc=ref-29436495

Follow Up: "Why Brain Games are Bogus"

Since we discussed Lumosity at length in class I thought you might be interested in this article from the New Yorker magazine, "Brain Games are Bogus." I've included a teaser below, but be sure to follow the link for an in-depth discussion of the science.

It seemed like a breakthrough, offering new approaches to education and help for people with A.D.H.D., traumatic brain injuries, and other ailments. In the years since, other, similar experiments yielded positive results, and Klingberg helped found a company, Cogmed, to commercialize the software globally. (Pearson, the British publishing juggernaut, purchased it in 2010.) Brain training has become a multi-million-dollar business, with companies like Lumosity, Jungle Memory, and CogniFit offering their own versions of neuroscience-you-can-use, and providing ambitious parents with new assignments for overworked but otherwise healthy children. The brain-training concept has made Klingberg a star, and he now enjoys a seat on an assembly that helps select the winners of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The field has become a staple of popular writing. Last year, the New York Times Magazine published a glowing profile of the young guns of brain training called “CAN YOU MAKE YOURSELF SMARTER?”

The answer, however, now appears to be a pretty firm no—at least, not through brain training. A pair of scientists in Europe recently gathered all of the best research—twenty-three investigations of memory training by teams around the world—and employed a standard statistical technique (called meta-analysis) to settle this controversial issue. The conclusion: the games may yield improvements in the narrow task being trained, but this does not transfer to broader skills like the ability to read or do arithmetic, or to other measures of intelligence. Playing the games makes you better at the games, in other words, but not at anything anyone might care about in real life.

Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock

While searching the internet tonight on some of my favorite health and nutrition blogs, I came across an article called 7 Tech Tools for Better Primal Living. I found the Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock to be the most interesting and useful tools on this list. After further research I found this iPhone app can actually monitor and analyze someone's sleeping patterns and wake the sleeper up in his/her lightest phase of sleep. It wakes the sleeper up with a low soothing noise and will increase the volume slowly until the sleeper awakes. The website Lifehacker took a vote on the best alarm app currently on the market, and this App won with a 50% vote. At a price of $0.99, this app seems worth it for such a practical technology.

Smell-O-Vision

     Recently, both Gizmodo and The Verge posted about the possibility of being able to incorporate smells into TVs to enhance the viewing experience to include more senses.  (No, the post was not on April Fools Day, or following Google's "Google Nose" April Fools joke) Here is link to a fairly thorough description of how it works: http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/31/4166884/japanese-smelling-screen-might-be-the-next-big-thing-in-advertising

     In short, scents are bound up in pre-made gels which are heated at the proper time.  Then, four fans along the sides of the TV blow air carrying the scent, towards each other, parallel with the screen.  Based on fan speeds, the air currents from each side of the TV hit at a controllable location and begin to disperse.  Supposedly, controlling where the currents hit can give the illusion that the smell is coming from a particular part of the screen.  It seems though, that scent cartridges would have to be bought and replaced.

     Can anyone see this becoming big someday?  Do you find the implications of it for advertising pleasing or scary?

     Personally I think it would be well suited to a movie theater experience, and maybe for homes too if it's not expensive.  Already, foods get "advertised" by their natural scents that waft around where they are made.  I know I really want Subway every time I pass by Foster hall and smell the fresh bread.  I am worried though that if it were to become popular that it would increase the bombardment of advertisers, both in the home and in public places.  Successively run commercials could both release their own scents which would mix in the room and have unintended results.  If this technology were to get underway, I think it would be best used in a movie theater experience.  This way, consumers wouldn't have to worry about getting more hardware or being bombarded in their own homes.  The movie producers could create a well-tested, controlled, and continuous experience that could make a movie more interesting.

Last week, Alexis and I presented on GroupMe--the group messaging system that relies on its ease of use. The GroupMe application allows for mass communication without any of the uncertainties of texting and the immediate feedback of the Internet.

GroupMe has the ability to encourage communication although it lacks the face-to-face interaction that Turkle says is necessary for actual community. I believe GroupMe does--more than anything else--encourages organization. The organization that GroupMe provides for the ever-busy college student or businessman is irreplaceable by any other group messaging system. GroupMe allows one compartmentalize each conversation and duties accompanied with that group.

Snapchat

Snapchat is a "real-time picture chat" application for iPhone and Android-based telephones: a user takes a photograph, captions it, and sends it to a friend with the Snapchat application installed on their telephone. Photographs and their captions persist only for a user-selectable duration of time, up to ten seconds. After this, they disappear forever. In class, we discussed the repercussions of ephemeral photographs. These photographs allow for a certain amount of non-judgemental play between users; a smile can be shared, a frown, or a funny face.

We also discussed the nature of digital identity: what does it mean to create persistent, online profiles? how do these profiles relate to our self-identity?

For more information on Snapchat, visit the Snapchat homepage.

Blast Proof Train: Reade & Amy

Reade and I presented on Secure Metro's latest project, the Blast Proof train.  This project was developed in response to the 7/7 bombings in London (essentially their 9/11).   Unfortunately, this was not the first attack on the train system in Europe, Madrid and Moscow have also been targets in the past with a bombing in Moscow as recent as 2009.  The blast proof train provides a cheaper and more secure environment in the event of a bombing.  Damage is incredibly minimized and it encourages a safe and secure environment.  However, the project is still in development and has not been tested in a subway environment.  Additionally, the main goal of the project was to prevent a mass shutdown of an important transportation system in Europe, not saving the lives of the passengers.

Ancestry.com

Philip and I presented on Ancestry.com in class. This technology allows for a user to search through their family lineage by entering information of relatives like birthday and place of birth. Ancestry.com then checks this information with their very large databases that can encompass information from all over the world. Ancestry.com also checks family trees made between one another as to connect the information input together. There are a few very good pros about this technology and about Ancestry.com specifically. I have personally had to use online family tree makers in order to make a family tree for a study. It was much easier than starting from scratch in paint or word. The databases that Ancestry.com have the ability to cross check are also a major pro for this website in particular. The cons about this technology is the fact that it charges money for information that is public record. Even if a person would opt for the free trial, the first question asked is the person's credit card number. This technology can connect to two of the texts. Parallels can be drawn to compare Ancestry.com to Chapter 8 of "The Shallows" by Carr. In this chapter, Carr discusses the development and power the search engine Google. This technology can also be compared to Turkle's key point in "Alone Together." As we look to technology for more and more information, we isolate ourselves from other people. This technology, in my mind, stops conversations between parents and children about nationality and family lineage. Now, the children just need to search the internet and no conversation is needed or, in most cases, wanted.