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Centre for Women's and Gender Research
PHD course

Technologies are Us: Feminist Perspectives on Posthuman Futures

A three day intensive course on feminist thinking about technological development.

Robot hand meets human hand
Photo:
Colourbox / Nina Bergheim Dahl

Main content

Given the uncertain coronavirus situation in 2020, it was decided to run this course online, but it was also available offline for those who were able to attend in person.

Feminist Thinking about Technological Development

What are the consequences of current technological development for feminist thinking about equality, freedom and change? Are algorithms gendered, and does it matter? What does sex and subjectivity mean in the age of neuro-technologies and AI? Are we at all still "human"? Is there a specific ethics of the posthuman? 

These are some of the questions that will be scrutinized during the three-days course in September 2020. The theme of the course are divided into the following topics:

  • The Biased Face of Technology
  • Ethics and the Posthuman
  • Bodies and Brains

If you are working with these or related questions, or are simply interested to learn more, join us for a PhD course in Bergen.

Program

Schedule for all three days (see detailed schedule at the bottom of the page)

Wednesday 23 September

10.00-11.15 Lecture with Q/A

11.15-11.45 Break

11.45-12.45 Discussion and seminar

13.00-14.00 Lunch

14.00-16.00 Participant presentations

17.00 Wine reception

Thursday 24 September

11.00-13.00 Participant presentations

13.00-14.00 Lunch

14.00- 16.00 Discussion and seminar

16.00-16.30 Break

16.30-17.45 Lecture with Q and A

19.00 Dinner

Friday 25 September

10.00-11.15 Lecture with Q/A 

11.15-11.45 Break

11.45-12.45 Discussion and seminar

13.00-14.00 Lunch

Lecture program:

23rd September: Jill Walker Rettberg‘The Biased Face of Technology: Algorithmic Inequality and Algorithmic Persuasion’
24th September: N. Katherine Hayles‘Ethics and the Posthuman: A Feminist Perspective’
25th September: Kari Jegerstedt‘Bodies and Brains: Sex and Subjectivity in the Age of Neuro-Technologies’

Accreditation and tasks

3 or 5 ECTS. 

Preparation (reading course literature), active participation, and presentation of the participant's own work give 3 ECTS. 

To get 5 credits participants must prepare a 10-page text, drawing on the reading they have done for this course and associated texts. The paper should address the following issue: How does the notion ‘Technologies are Us’ figure in your work, either methodologically or content-wise?

Note that the credits must be approved by your home institution / department and that they can decide on a different number of credits. 

Preparation

  1. In preparation for the course, and as part of your application, we would like you to write a 2-page text on why this course is important to you.
  2. For each discussion/seminar session you will find some key texts to read in advance of the session.

Please see the attached course outline at bottom of page for readings, registration and further details. 

Course Organizers

The course is organized by Nordic Centre of Excellence on Women in Technology Driven Careers (NORDWIT), and Centre for Women's and Gender Research (SKOK), University of Bergen. Please do not hesitate to contact any of the organisers if you have any questions: