Linda Layne a feminist medical anthropologist, spent decades of working on pregnancy loss, now deciding to work on happier topics—single mothers by choice and two-mum families. Linda is particularly interested in the DIY approach. (Her book 'Feminist Technology' would give you an idea why.) Linda is from the US but based in Cambridge this year (till July 2012), she would really like to hear from anyone who is willing to share their story with her.
Linda’s book: Feminist Technology
Is there such a thing as a 'feminist technology'? If so, what makes a technology feminist? Is it in the design process, in the thing itself, in the way it is marketed, or in the way it is used by women (or by men)? In this collection, feminist scholars trained in diverse fields consider these questions by examining a range of products, tools, and technologies that were specifically designed for and marketed to women. Evaluating the claims that such products are liberating for women, the contributors focus on case studies of menstrual-suppressing birth control pills, home pregnancy tests, tampons, breast pumps, Norplant, anti-fertility vaccines, and microbicides. In examining these various products, this volume explores ways of actively intervening to develop better tools for designing, promoting, and evaluating feminist technologies. Recognizing the different needs and desires of women and acknowledging the multiplicity of feminist approaches, "Feminist Technologies" offers a sustained debate on existing and emergent technologies that share the goal of improving women's lives.
Review:
"This coherent and integrated collection lays out the issues and questions of feminist technology, crossing a true range of disciplinary boundaries including science and technology studies, architecture, biology, and the social sciences." Barbara Katz Rothman, author of Recreating Motherhood: Ideology and Technology in a Patriarchal Society
Please contact Linda at ll427@cam.ac.uk . All stories can be kept anonymous if preferred. All comments and views are appreciated.
Alternatively you may contact Pride Angel for further information.
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