Is There a Feminized Field?

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i feel like so often when it comes to technology, we we see the reverse when technology is instituted. Usually the introduction of further automation means that a field feminizes instead of becoming more male identified. It means that unions oftentimes get broken or lose power when automation comes into the picture. And computing is an interesting case because it goes the opposite way in certain respects. So it doesn't result in more fit feminization, but it does certainly break the power of unions. Because as it professionalizes, as it becomes more and more associated with a certain class and kind of calibre of mostly white man. In this situation in the uk, its very hard to advocate for the need for

Paris Marx is joined by Mar Hicks to discuss why we need to know the history of tech and how the British history of sexism and colonialism in computing has lessons for the present-day US tech industry.

Mar Hicks is the co-editor of “Your Computer Is on Fire,” along with Thomas S. Mullaney, Benjamin Peters, and Kavita Philip. They are also the author of “Programmed Inequality: How Britain Discarded Women Technologists and Lost Its Edge in Computing” and an Associate Professor of the History of Technology at Illinois Tech. Follow Mar on Twitter as @histoftech.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Mar wrote about the story of COBOL computer systems in the early months of the pandemic and how Britain killed its tech industry.
Google fired top AI ethicists Timnit Gebru and Margaret Mitchell after their research was critical of the company’s practices. Diversity recruiter April Christina Curley was also fired in September 2020.

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