Course syllabus for Gender and technology

Course syllabus adopted 2021-02-26 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameGenus och teknik
  • CodeITS066
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerMTS
  • Education cycleFirst-cycle
  • ThemeMTS 7.5 c
  • DepartmentTECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT AND ECONOMICS
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language Swedish
  • Application code 99112
  • Maximum participants60
  • Block schedule
  • Open for exchange studentsNo

Credit distribution

0117 Take-home examination 7.5 c
Grading: TH		 7.5 c

In programmes

Examiner

Go to coursepage (Opens in new tab)

Eligibility

General entry requirements for bachelor's level studies

Course specific prerequisites

No particular prerequisites are needed.

Aim

This course aims to describe and analyse gender relations in our contemporary society, particularly in connection to technology. It calls attention to the extent that factors such as gender, gender identity, sexuality, ethnicity, class and ability influences our limitations and opportunities in different societies and social situations. It inquires whether technology and science reinforce existing gender roles, or supply new ones. The course offers gender theoretical and gender history perspectives on higher STEM education and the engineering profession, as well as on areas of application such as medical technologies and IT.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

  • describe and critically analyse gender relations in connection to technology.
  • describe and reflect on the interplay between gender and technology from a historical perspective.
  • critically analyse technology from a gender perspective.
  • make suggestions on how gender theory can be applied to technology design and development.
  • identify ethical issues brought to the fore in an analysis of technology based on different values.
  • critically reflect on how they can apply gender perspectives in their education and their profession.

Content

The course investigates gender relations in our society, with a special reference to technology. The main focus is gender and gender identity, but intersectional perspectives will also be discussed, including questions on how sexuality, ethnicity, class and ability influences our relations to technology. Starting from the notion that technology in not value neutral, we will use theories and examples from feminist STS theory as well as gender history in order to analyse how gender relations and technology have interplayed over history. Which limitations and possibilities do men and women have in different societies and different social contexts? Do science and technology strengthen existing gender roles or do they provide new ones? Which ethical issues are brought to the fore when we analyse technology as value laden? Who has access to development and use of technology in different societal contexts, and which are the consequences of this power distribution? In addition to critical analysis and discussion, the course will also give the opportunity for the students to apply gender critical perspectives on design and development of technology.

Organisation

Lectures and seminars. The course is given in Swedish.

Literature

Se course homepage.

Examination including compulsory elements

The students are graded through exercises during the entirety of the course, individually or in groups. The course ends with a non-compulsory take home exam for a higher grade.
One or several of the exercises can be adapted to the specific study subject of each student's engineering program.

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.