A Toolbox of Feminist Wonder: Theories and methods that can make a difference

Abstract

This one-day hybrid workshop builds on previous feminist CSCW workshops to explore feminist theoretical and methodological approaches that have provided us with useful tools to see things differently and make space for change. Since its inception over a decade ago, feminist HCI has progressed from the margins to mainstream HCI, with numerous references in the literature. Feminist HCI has also evolved to incorporate other critical HCI practices such as Queer HCI, participatory design, and speculative design. While feminist approaches have grown in popularity and become mainstream, it is getting more difficult to distinguish the feminist emancipatory core from other attempts of developing and improving society in various ways. In this workshop, we therefore want to revisit our feminist roots, where theory is a liberatory and creative practice, motivated by affect, curiosity, and wonder. From this standpoint, we consider which of our feminist tools can make a significant difference today, in a highly datafied world. The goal of this workshop is to; 1) create an inventory of feminist theories and concepts that have had an impact on our work as designers, educators, researchers, and activists; 2) develop a feminist toolbox for the CSCW community to strengthen our feminist literacy.