Joseph Reagle released his new paper - "Free as in sexist?" Free culture and the gender gap.
Abstract:
Despite the values of freedom and openness, the free culture movement's gender balance is as skewed (or more so) as that of the computing culture from which it arose. Based on the collection and analysis of discourse on gender and sexism within this movement over a six--year period. I suggest three possible causes: (a) some geek identities can be narrow and unappealing; (b) open communities are especially susceptible to difficult people; and, (c) the ideas of freedom and openness can be used to dismiss concerns and rationalize the gender gap as a matter of preference and choice.
Find it here: http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/4291/3381
Lots of talk about Wikipedia, and a few familiar names cited in it (Kat Walsh, Sue, SlimVirgin, among others).
-Sarah
On Thu, Jan 10, 2013 at 6:51 PM, Sarah Stierch sarah.stierch@gmail.com wrote:
Joseph Reagle released his new paper - "Free as in sexist?" Free culture and the gender gap.
Lots of talk about Wikipedia, and a few familiar names cited in it (Kat Walsh, Sue, SlimVirgin, among others).
Did you ever encounter the hypothesis that science fiction fandom, in some ways the ur-culture of most modern geek culture, arose among and is most congenial to persons with at least a marginal case of Asperger's, and that this shapes the manners and customs of discourse? (I do realize that Asperger's and other afflictions along the autism spectrum are supposed to be somewhat gender-linked.)
Heaven knows I'm only one of more than a dozen Wikipedians I can name easily who are also more-or-less well-known members of SF fandom, and only two of whom are female.
I'll admit to being a bit that way myself, despite my fierce lifetime feminist commitment. (I also married a fellow SF fan [at a con, as a matter of fact]; it's worked for 32 years now.)
(I do realize that Asperger's and other afflictions along the autism spectrum are supposed to be somewhat gender-linked.)
Just as clarification:
As someone who has atypically-manifesting autism, I participate in an internet community for people who are in various points of having, needing, and wanting a diagnosis for autism. While there's a disproportionate number of men within it, I believe the gender gap within that community is closer than society would want you to believe.
But Mike, I think you understand the gray-area concept.
From, Emily
On Thu, Jan 10, 2013 at 7:28 PM, Michael J. Lowrey orangemike@gmail.comwrote:
Did you ever encounter the hypothesis that science fiction fandom, in some ways the ur-culture of most modern geek culture, arose among and is most congenial to persons with at least a marginal case of Asperger's, and that this shapes the manners and customs of discourse? (I do realize that Asperger's and other afflictions along the autism spectrum are supposed to be somewhat gender-linked.)
From, Emily
On 01/10/2013 10:04 PM, Emily Monroe wrote:
(I do realize that Asperger's and other afflictions along the autism spectrum are supposed to be somewhat gender-linked.)
As I mentioned to Mike off-list, in earlier drafts I actually do mention that I was the typical computer obsessed nerd -- and I can identify with many asperger-type characteristics. However, this is a topic requiring much care so as not to demonize or pathologize, so I didn't engage it since I didn't think it was essential to understanding the gender gap problem in free culture. I can point out that typical geek identity/behavior can be alienating without conjecture about its source. Similarly, in the context of the openness of these communities, I can claim "difficult people" are alienating without conjecture as to what (if any) anti-social personality disorder is present.
That said, something that affected my thinking on the geek/autism/gender issue was that the differences between genders might not be as great as we originally thought, or, it's more complicated than we thought. Recommended intervention for children often includes early and intensive social skills therapy. Some argue girls *already* experience this simply as being raised and expected to perform as girls. We are *just* starting to study [1] the relationship between genetics, socialization, and the presentations of autistic behavior in males and females (e.g., the topic of "special interests").
[1]: http://nhregister.com/articles/2012/09/14/news/doc5053f7b0f172f814146475.txt
On Fri, Jan 11, 2013 at 7:50 AM, Joseph Reagle joseph.2011@reagle.org wrote:
That said, something that affected my thinking on the geek/autism/gender issue was that the differences between genders might not be as great as we originally thought, or, it's more complicated than we thought. Recommended intervention for children often includes early and intensive social skills therapy. Some argue girls *already* experience this simply as being raised and expected to perform as girls.
Now, THAT I can believe!!!!
On Fri, Jan 11, 2013 at 5:50 AM, Joseph Reagle joseph.2011@reagle.org wrote:
On 01/10/2013 10:04 PM, Emily Monroe wrote:
(I do realize that Asperger's and other afflictions along the autism spectrum are supposed to be somewhat gender-linked.)As I mentioned to Mike off-list, in earlier drafts I actually do mention that I was the typical computer obsessed nerd -- and I can identify with many asperger-type characteristics. However, this is a topic requiring much care so as not to demonize or pathologize, so I didn't engage it since I didn't think it was essential to understanding the gender gap problem in free culture. I can point out that typical geek identity/behavior can be alienating without conjecture about its source. Similarly, in the context of the openness of these communities, I can claim "difficult people" are alienating without conjecture as to what (if any) anti-social personality disorder is present.
That said, something that affected my thinking on the geek/autism/gender issue was that the differences between genders might not be as great as we originally thought, or, it's more complicated than we thought. Recommended intervention for children often includes early and intensive social skills therapy. Some argue girls *already* experience this simply as being raised and expected to perform as girls. We are *just* starting to study [1] the relationship between genetics, socialization, and the presentations of autistic behavior in males and females (e.g., the topic of "special interests").
I just had to say: +1. Thanks,
-VAL
Sarah
Thanks for sharing this paper by J Reagle - very insightful.
Alolita
On Mon, Jan 14, 2013 at 12:17 PM, Valerie Aurora valerie@adainitiative.org wrote:
On Fri, Jan 11, 2013 at 5:50 AM, Joseph Reagle joseph.2011@reagle.org wrote:
On 01/10/2013 10:04 PM, Emily Monroe wrote:
(I do realize that Asperger's and other afflictions along the autism spectrum are supposed to be somewhat gender-linked.)As I mentioned to Mike off-list, in earlier drafts I actually do mention that I was the typical computer obsessed nerd -- and I can identify with many asperger-type characteristics. However, this is a topic requiring much care so as not to demonize or pathologize, so I didn't engage it since I didn't think it was essential to understanding the gender gap problem in free culture. I can point out that typical geek identity/behavior can be alienating without conjecture about its source. Similarly, in the context of the openness of these communities, I can claim "difficult people" are alienating without conjecture as to what (if any) anti-social personality disorder is present.
That said, something that affected my thinking on the geek/autism/gender issue was that the differences between genders might not be as great as we originally thought, or, it's more complicated than we thought. Recommended intervention for children often includes early and intensive social skills therapy. Some argue girls *already* experience this simply as being raised and expected to perform as girls. We are *just* starting to study [1] the relationship between genetics, socialization, and the presentations of autistic behavior in males and females (e.g., the topic of "special interests").
I just had to say: +1. Thanks,
-VAL
-- Increasing the participation of women in open technology and culture http://adainitiative.org
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