Svedka Vodka launched their "R. U. Bot or Not?" campaign in 2010. It features Svedka_Girl, a fictional robot resembling a woman. Svedka_Girl is a clearly gendered depiction of a robot, one of the technologies discussed in the course. (Photo courtesy of Thomas Hawk on Flickr. CC-BY-NC.)
Instructor(s)
Dr. K.J. Surkan
MIT Course Number
WGS.115
As Taught In
Spring 2013
Level
Undergraduate
Course Description
Course Features
Course Description
This course considers a wide range of issues related to the contemporary and historical use of technology, the development of new technologies, and the cultural representation of technology, including the role women have played in the development of technology and the effect of technological change on the roles of women and ideas of gender. It discusses the social implications of technology and its understanding and deployment in different cultural contexts. It investigates the relationships between technology and identity categories, such as gender, race, class, and sexuality, and examines how technology offers possibilities for new social relations and how to evaluate them.