The gender equality committee of IRISA and Inria centre at Rennes University proposes a new edition of the Fifty/Fifty series. Thursday 20th November at 4:30pm, Mar Hicks (remote from the US) will give a talk about programmed inequalities. The presentation will be streamed in the amphi of building 12G in Rennes and also on Webex.
Registrations are open until November 19th via Evento.
NB: Non IRISA or Inria Centre at Rennes University may only attend online.
Laurent Amsaleg and Nathalie Bertrand
The Past, Present, and Potential Future of Programmed Inequalities
Histories of computing that center labor can be useful for
understanding the social construction of technology, and serve as a
warning regarding many of the current challenges we find ourselves
facing today when it comes to new technologies–and the promises made
by the corporations seeking to integrate them into our lives. This
talk looks at gender and labor in computing’s past and present
(focusing on the US and UK) to show that many common assumptions about
technological efficiency cannot explain why certain changes have been
pursued or gained widespread acceptance.
Short bio: Mar Hicks is an author, historian, and professor doing
research on hidden histories of computing, as well as the history of
labor and technology. Hicks is currently an Associate Professor at The
University of Virginia’s School of Data Science, in Charlottesville,
teaching courses on the history of technology, computing and society,
and the larger implications of powerful and widespread digital
infrastructures. Their research focuses on how gender and sexuality
bring hidden technological dynamics to light, and how the experiences
of women and LGBTQIA people change the core narratives of the history
of computing in unexpected ways. Hicks’s multiple award-winning book,
Programmed Inequality, looks at how the British lost their early lead
in computing by discarding women computer workers, and what this
cautionary tale tells us about current issues in high tech. Their new
work looks at resistance and queerness in the history of
technology. Hicks is also co-editor of the book Your Computer Is On
Fire (MIT Press, 2021), a volume of essays about how we can begin to
fix our broken high tech infrastructures. Other writings and more
information can be found at: marhicks.com.