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A Sight/Site for Transparency Or Opacity? Notes on Knowledge Production and Feminist Technoscience

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A Sight/Site for Transparency Or Opacity? Notes on Knowledge Production and Feminist Technoscience A Sight/Site for ABStrAct The objective for my research has been to put have attempted to illustrate some aspects of and forward and discuss some aspects of knowledge possible hindrances to understanding and know- t r A Sight/Site for trAnSpArency production in relation to the epistemological ledge, while addressing what a feminist techno- A n positions of feminist technoscience, which lay science epistemology could signify for knowledge S p or opAcity? A emphasis on the contextual and the social em- production. rency or noteS on Knowledge production And beddedness of both research and technology. My main inquiry has been how the relation between My intention in these three essays has also been feminiSt technoScience the subject and the surrounding context can be to emphasize the ideological foundation of epis- o p perceived epistemologically and how this in turn temological understandings, its implications both A can be connected to and found relevant to the on what is viewed and valued as knowledge, and city? supposed new mode of knowledge production on what purpose knowledge production and re- termed Mode 2. search should have for and in society. In relation to these discussions I have tried to underline how The licentiate thesis is built on three essays which feminist technoscience, as a research field, should Rebecka Molin together form my main arguments around the be open to ongoing discussions about its own epistemological questions of if and how it is pos- methodological, epistemological and ideological sible to gain and attain knowledge, and how its stances and its effects on research and society value might be ascertained. In the three essays I Rebecka Molin Blekinge Institute of Technology Licentiate Dissertation Series No. 2011:01 2011:01 ISSN 1650-2140 School of Planning and Media Design 2011:01 ISBN: 978-91-7295-199-0 A Sight/Site for Transparency or Opacity? Notes on Knowledge Production and Feminist Technoscience Rebecka Molin Blekinge Institute of Technology Licentiate Dissertation Series No 2011:01 ISSN 1650-2140 ISBN: 978-91-7295-199-0 A Sight/Site for Transparency or Opacity? Notes on Knowledge Production and Feminist Technoscience Rebecka Molin Department of Technology and Aesthetics School of Planning and Media Design Blekinge Institute of Technology SWEDEN Blekinge Institute of Technology Blekinge Institute of Technology, situated on the southeast coast of Sweden, started in 1989 and in 1999 gained the right to run Ph.D programmes in technology. Research programmes have been started in the following areas: Applied Signal Processing Computer Science Computer Systems Technology Development of Digital Games Human Work Science with a special Focus on IT Interaction Design Mechanical Engineering Software Engineering Spatial Planning Technosicence Studies Telecommunication Systems Research studies are carried out in faculties and about a third of the annual budget is dedicated to research. Blekinge Institue of Technology S-371 79 Karlskrona, Sweden www.bth.se © 2011 Rebecka Molin © Rebecka Molin 2011 DepartmentDivision of of Technology Technoscience and Studies Aesthetics SchoolSchool of Planning of Planning and Mediaand Media Design Design Publisher:Graphic Blekinge Design Institute and Typesettning: of Technology Mixiprint, Olofstrom PrintedPublisher: by Printfabriken, Blekinge InstituteKarlskrona, of Technology Sweden 2011 ISBN: 978-91-7295-199-0Printed by Printfabriken, Karlskrona, Sweden 2011 ISBN 978-91-7295-199-0 Blekingeum:nbn:se:bth-00486 Institute of Technology Licentiate Dissertation Series ISSN 1650-2140 urn:nbn:se:bth-00486 6 Abstract The objective for my research has been to put forward and discuss some aspects of knowledge production in relation to the epistemological positions of feminist techno- science, which lay emphasis on the contextual and the social embeddedness of both research and technology. My main inquiry has been how the relation between the sub- ject and the surrounding context can be perceived epistemologically and how this in turn can be connected to and found relevant to the supposed new mode of knowledge production termed Mode 2. The licentiate thesis is built on three essays which together form my main argu- ments around the epistemological questions of if and how it is possible to gain and attain knowledge, and how its value might be ascertained. In the three essays I have attempted to illustrate some aspects of and possible hindrances to understanding and knowledge, while addressing what a feminist technoscience epistemology could signify for knowledge production. My intention in these three essays has also been to emphasize the ideological foun- dation of epistemological understandings, its implications both on what is viewed and valued as knowledge, and on what purpose knowledge production and research should have for and in society. In relation to these discussions I have tried to underline how feminist technoscience, as a research field, should be open to ongoing discussions about its own methodological, epistemological and ideological stances and its effects on research and society. Keywords: epistemology, knowledge production, feminist technoscience, situated know- ledges, Mode 2, meaninglessness, transparency, opacity, function, representation 7 Acknowledgements I would like to thank the colleagues at the department for Technology and Aesthetics, School of Planning and Media Design at BTH. Special thanks go to my supervisor Professor Lena Trojer - for your tirelessness and your knowledge and practice of femi- nist technoscience, which you so generously have shared with me. I would also like to thank my co-supervisor, Senior Lecturer in Art History Maud Färnström - without your encouragement and advice and our discussions I do not think I would have continued to write. Michael, in you I find my greatest support. I hope that you find the same in me. Mom and Dad, I dedicate this to you. 8 Table of Contents Part I. Prologue 11 Objective and Question 13 Disposition 16 Theoretical Foundation 17 Transforming Technology 17 Feminist Technoscience 22 Methodological Attempt 27 Distance and Closeness 28 Material 31 Selection of Texts 31 References 35 Part II. Essays 39 I. Meaninglessness in the Desert of the Real. Arguing for a Form of Meaning and Unpretentious Objects 41 Opening with Meaning 42 The Face of Indifference 43 The Meaning of Keeping Face 47 Facing Meaning or “Strategic Meaninglessness” 52 References 53 II. Function as the Objective Form. An Essay on Making Things Transparent 55 Ornament 57 Function 64 Form 70 References 72 III. Notes on Representation and Visual Optics 75 What is an Image? 78 Image as Sign 78 Image as Preferred Meaning 79 Image as “Tool” and “God-Trick” 81 Image as Intristic Value 83 Where is Intention? 85 9 Intention in Reciever 86 Intention in Counter Images 88 Image and Intention Situated 90 References 92 Part III. Epilogue 95 Contribution 97 10 Part I. Prologue 11 12 Objective and Question A substantial change in the practice and understanding of research and knowledge pro- duction has occurred over the last few decades. This has led researchers such as Michael Gibbons and Helga Nowotny to ascertain that a new production of knowledge, which they refer to as mode 2, has come into force. Characteristic of the new production of knowledge is a strong focus on the applicability of research into societal utility, which is endorsed by co-operation between authorities of the state, the private sector and academia.1 The changes within research and knowledge production, signified as mode 2, also point to larger societal changes related to late modernity. The creation of diverse technological artefacts, its exponential growth and use, seem parallel to these societal changes. Information and communication technology, abbreviated to ICT, directed towards digitalization of information, is one area of technological creation which has become increasingly prevalent and socially applicable. 1 See Michael Gibbons, Limoges, Camille, Nowotny, Helga, Schwartzman, Simon, Scott, Peter & Trow, Martin (1994), The new production of knowledge, the dynamics of science and research in contemporary societies, Sage: Los Angeles, London & New Delhi. For a more thorough discussion on related matters, see the second essay of Part II below. 13 The social, scientific and political consequences of the technological development and its applicability form the field of research for feminist technoscience. Informed by the American researcher Donna Haraway, the feminist technoscience stance argues for the deeply contextual aspects of both technological development and scientific pro- duction.2 Acknowledging research and knowledge production as a contextual practice should have implications both for the way research is practiced and the way its valuand utility is viewed.3 I draw on these assumed changes within research practice and knowledge produc- tion for the objective of my research. The objective is to discuss some aspects of knowledge production in relation to epistemological positions of feminist technoscience which empha- size the contextual and the social embeddedness of research and technology. Three essays jointly form the main arguments of this licentiate thesis. They all revolve around the epistemological questions related to if and how it is possible to gain and attain knowledge, and how its value might be ascertained. The essays illustrate some aspects of and possible hindrances to knowledge and understanding, which find rel- evance partly in relation to the type
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