Gender Issues in IT: Equality and Discrimination

1. IT and Ethics Lecture 9 Gender issues, Disabled, Discrimination and Exploitation Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

2. Equality issues in development and usage of IT • In development female users of information systems are often ignored • Female developers ‘cornered’ (Sauna meeting -phenomenon) • Glass Ceiling • ‘Male-dominance’ of the generic development • Designers and engineers are most commonly male • Note however that most males are not developers or engineers • ‘Male view’ in IT development? Gumbus and Grodinsky (2004) Gender Bias in Internet Employment Igbaria & Chidambaran (1997)The impact of gender on career success of information systems professionals Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

3. Conferences • Even in IT-ethics conferences gender issues ignored • Ethicomp 2002: when mentioning issues handled and listing tracts, gender issues ignored in both, even though a lot of issues handled and almost half of the people present female • On the other hand, pre-Internet, it was difficult to get such wide distribution for conferences such as • QUESTIONS IN FEMINISM AND PHILOSOPHY: SWIP invites all U.K. womenfor whom this conference would provide a congenial context to discuss their work to submit an abstract. (emphasis added) Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

4. Vehviläinen (1997) Gender, Expertise and Information Technology Codes of conduct male-oriented • Especially earlier versions using ‘he’ • Also directed towards designers and engineers of IT – as previously stated, mostly male • Late development better, but still very little post-modern (critical) or emotional content (which often more equal or female-valued) Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

5. Sovela & Kimppa (not published) Women and the hacker culture: why there are so few female hackers – and does it really matter? Hacker (F/OSS) culture • Claimed to be ‘open’ as in open source software movement • But is it open to female hackers as well? • Or is it open for certain kinds of people (male nerd type?) and not others? • Who has ever heard of a female hacker? • Women in hacker conventions considered someone’s girlfriend/wife even if hackers in their own right • F/OSS developers 98% male • Debian developer list: almost absolute male dominance Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

6. Greenspan (2003)Europe, U.S. on Different Sides of the Gender Divide WWW, chats, bulletin boards • Many sites, chat rooms, bulletin boards directed at women • Yet mainly designed, run and moderated by men • Users of the ‘Net approximately 50/50 in the USA and EU Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

7. Shade (2003) Weborexia: Ethical issues surrounding the Pro-Ana web sites Weborexia • Pro-ana’s young women who proclaim themselves to be proudly anorexic • Created vibrant communities on-line • Difficult to find, since tracked down and shut down when found • Freedom of speech issues? • http://www.plagueangel.net/grotto/id1.html - not working anymore... • Affects mainly females • Male dominated society expecting unreasonable body shapes (Barbie ™) Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

8. Cyber stalking • If one uses ones real name and/or a nick-name (“nick”) that is femalish, one is bound to attract unwanted e-mails, messages etc. even in forums not directed for dating purposes • Cyber stalking can go even to levels in which web sites are kept by the stalker about the stalked without their consent • Cyber rape? Doing harm to the other by harassing them on-line Tavani & Grodzinsky (2002)Cyberstalking, personal privacy, and moral responsibility Dibbell (1993) A Rape in Cyberspace:… Powers (2003) Real wrongs in virtual communities Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

9. Adam (2002) Cyberstalking and Internet pornography: Gender and the gaze Paasonen (2005) Sähköpostia Sirpa Revalta: Internet-porno, valta ja nautinto Cyber pornography and prostitution • New media to offer old fashioned services • “Sex”, “porn” most sought after search words in search agents • Porn spam (see UserFriendly) • And contrary to the reports of ministries, spam has not lessened • Most succesfull business in the web • New forms of old services • Peep-shows through web-cams • Pictures for sale/free • www.sihteeriopisto.net – still up and running Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

10. http://www.itviikko.fi/uutiset/uutinen.asp?UutisID=63192 Critique of cyber porn • Form of power usage over those less fortunate (especially seen as thus in critical feminism) • Body = ‘meat’? • ‘Freedom’ to indulge oneself in sex as one pleases? • Censorship? What would be gained by this? • Ministeri Huovinen: Lapsipornosivuille pääsy estettävä vaikka lailla • What about cencoring pages which should not be sensored? • Breast cancer cencored due to word “breast” (and likely these slides now…) • Case from Pennsylvania: 1 000 000 pages not containing child pornography cencored and 400 pages containing it cencored… Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

11. Sexual liberation? • Different lifestyles possible to be promoted • Swinging • Polyamory • Gay/Lesbian relationships • Cross-dressing • Transvestitism • Transsexualism • Etc. • Internet provides an avenue for discussion, learning, partner searching etc. Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

12. Sandin (2004) Virtual Child Pornography and Utilitarianism Clearly morally unethical practices in cyber pornography • Again, new media for old crimes • Child pornography • What about virtual child pornography? • Snuff sex • Unwilling sexual services of any kind • White slavery rings • Illegal and/or unwillingly performed perversions Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

13. Disabled people • Generally many of the things ‘normal’ people can do are difficult or impossible for many disabled • Should disabled be taken into account when designing software? • In the US a law which states: "any devices for the disabled must not visibly differentiate them from others” • Blessing and curse; curse in the sense that may drive companies to not produce some aid to disabled people at all Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

14. Shelley Tremain and others On social constructs • Disability socially constructed? • Would not be ‘disabled’ if not seen so? • Hills do not disappear even if there is no society • Other ‘disabilities’ in us do not disappear either—we are no less ‘lion food’ in ‘natural state’ • Different definitions of what is disabled • There are facts which are independent of our social constructs • Try to push your hand through the table if you have difficulties believing this Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

15. Deaf taken into account • In late news interpretation services for the deaf have been offered through UMTS network • The reasoning for this? “If we can do that with the phone with picture, we can use it for pretty much anything” • I.e. not based on wanting to Do The Right Thing, but as a test bench for other applications • None the less, better than not testing it Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

16. Age discrimination • Older people tend to learn slower • This is often not taken into account when designing information systems • Mobile phones for elderly: clear screens and big buttons—where? • Possibility to ‘opt-out’; to decide to not use IT in ones life Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

17. Children • Opportunities in the ‘Net, • clearly net-active children better at school • Critical reading of net • Threats in the ‘Net • (Child) pornography (both viewing and being targets of) • Dis- and mis-information • Bombs, what-not • Pro-active ‘Net? • www.piccy.org Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

18. Demonstration case • What sex-related services (if any) would you see as not discriminating in the net? • Why? (think in terms of the ethical theories in Feldman) • List pros and cons Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems