Ebook: Feminist Challenges in the Information Age: Information as a Social Resource

In summer 2000, about 160 women students, scientists and professionals from all over the world gathered at the University of Hamburg to join in the International Women´s University, Project Area Information. The articles in this book report on the ongoing work and the results obtained in this unique setting, which allowed for creativity and for a world-wide cooperation and exchange of views amongst women. The program was oriented mainly towards the idea of information as a social resource. It aimed to bring out women´s perspectives on understanding information and on exploring how to develop information for human needs. The focus was on how modern information and communication technologies interact with and radically change traditional ways of dealing with information, thus giving rise to information societies rooted in different cultures. Information societies come with new challenges and opportunities for women. Engaging actively and taking advantage of the technology, therefore, can be seen as a way of empowerment. The book brings out how building international learning communities opens the way to meet the challenges ahead: gendering information technology; enhancing communication; supporting cooperative, interactive learning; networking for community development; and fostering democracy.

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In summer 2000, about 160 women students, scientists and professionals from all over the world gathered at the University of Hamburg to join in the International Women´s University, Project Area Information. The articles in this book report on the ongoing work and the results obtained in this unique setting, which allowed for creativity and for a world-wide cooperation and exchange of views amongst women. The program was oriented mainly towards the idea of information as a social resource. It aimed to bring out women´s perspectives on understanding information and on exploring how to develop information for human needs. The focus was on how modern information and communication technologies interact with and radically change traditional ways of dealing with information, thus giving rise to information societies rooted in different cultures. Information societies come with new challenges and opportunities for women. Engaging actively and taking advantage of the technology, therefore, can be seen as a way of empowerment. The book brings out how building international learning communities opens the way to meet the challenges ahead: gendering information technology; enhancing communication; supporting cooperative, interactive learning; networking for community development; and fostering democracy.

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In summer 2000, about 160 women students, scientists and professionals from all over the world gathered at the University of Hamburg to join in the International Women´s University, Project Area Information. The articles in this book report on the ongoing work and the results obtained in this unique setting, which allowed for creativity and for a world-wide cooperation and exchange of views amongst women. The program was oriented mainly towards the idea of information as a social resource. It aimed to bring out women´s perspectives on understanding information and on exploring how to develop information for human needs. The focus was on how modern information and communication technologies interact with and radically change traditional ways of dealing with information, thus giving rise to information societies rooted in different cultures. Information societies come with new challenges and opportunities for women. Engaging actively and taking advantage of the technology, therefore, can be seen as a way of empowerment. The book brings out how building international learning communities opens the way to meet the challenges ahead: gendering information technology; enhancing communication; supporting cooperative, interactive learning; networking for community development; and fostering democracy.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages 1-11
Introduction....Pages 13-15
Front Matter....Pages 17-18
Revising Sisterhood: from Unity to Affinity....Pages 19-36
Linguistic Expressions Connecting Women Across Cultures....Pages 37-39
Front Matter....Pages 41-51
Cross-Cultural Cooperation in Designing Information Resources....Pages 53-66
Bringing Gender Issues to Technology Design....Pages 67-74
Women in Computing....Pages 75-76
Technological Change and Cultural Ceilings....Pages 77-89
Front Matter....Pages 91-105
Cyberfeminism Crossover: Talking about Intercultural and Interdisciplinary Experiences....Pages 107-117
Spinning at Computers....Pages 119-131
Imaginative Visualizations: Enriching Women’s Workplace Skills....Pages 133-134
Performing Borders: Gender and Technology in Diasporic Culture....Pages 135-146
Front Matter....Pages 147-160
A Culture of Cooperation: Making the Journey the Destination....Pages 161-174
Towards Knowledge Co-construction....Pages 175-185
Teaching Computer Skills: A Gendered Approach....Pages 187-188
At Home in Education: Making Online Education Work for Global Women....Pages 189-202
Front Matter....Pages 203-222
Building Virtual Communities: The Case of a Telehealth Project from the South Pacific....Pages 223-239
Development from Within: Community Development, Gender and ICTs....Pages 241-251
Front Matter....Pages 253-254
Rhetoric and Realities: Evaluation of IT Projects....Pages 255-266
Times of the City: The Use of ICTs in Timesaving....Pages 267-284
Strategies for Empowering Women on the Internet....Pages 253-254
Front Matter....Pages 285-299
Visions of Citizenship: Women, Democracy and Information....Pages 301-310
Indigenous Women and Empowerment....Pages 311-318
Information Rights and Media Democracy in Times of Globalization. A Women’s and Civil Society’s Perspective....Pages 319-320
The Internet in the Service of Democracy....Pages 321-337
Information Technology and Protection of Refugees....Pages 339-355
Resolution....Pages 357-369
Resolution....Pages 371-386
Back Matter....Pages 387-396
....Pages 397-398