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| GenderChangers |
| Basic Audio Workshop |
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| Hands on training for women |
A small report from the Genderchangers laboratory at Imagine IC, Amsterdam.
Genderchangers is a group of women who teach hands-on computer skills to
other women. They are working in the TML with ASSCI.
Friday September 13
Friday afternoon, two groups of schoolkids visited the Genderchangers lab.
There was a " group eight " and a " group six " from a school in the
neighbourhood, which is to say that the kids were between about 10 and 13
years old, and largely from? an imigrant background. The visits had been
semi-announced. (Calls had been made, names had been named, but the
timetable was a little unclear.)
Donna, part of Genderchangers, explains that the visit by the first group
wasn?t exactly a success. The group was too big, and after a few minutes
some kids started asking why they couldn?t just go home, or at least, play
outside. But with the second groups it was better. They split up the group
in smaller ones. Plus, the kids will have to write a report. This way there
is a chance there will be some considered feedback from them. Donna began
the presentation by asking whether the children, or any other member of the
family ever opened up the computers home. The kids all agreed that they
always called an expert in to do so. After this somewhat ensobering
beginning, Donna used a big board on which the intestines of the computer
are laid out, to tell the story of computer hardware. There was considerable
interest.
Donna explains that she rather not to explain what tactical media is.? (When
she would have to explain it, she says, she would point out that tactical
media has the word " tactile " in it, which she interprets as fitting in
with her very hands-on approach to technology. Another thing, she says, is
that it is sort of tactical for Gender changers to be here, working in the
Bijlmer,? away from their familiar place at ASSCI, and their familiar
audiences - from which we might deduce that the relative emptiness of the
term tactical media might actually be an advantage.) But apart from this,
Donna says, she is actually not interested in disccusing the concept of
tactical media. Prefering to avoid abstractions, she says it is a more
useful starting point to explain how a computer works than how the world
(that is to say, big media industries) works.
However, the TML can very well be considered a place for experimenting with
the conditions for tactical media use. There was, for example, a moment,
where the problem of the invasion? of the private by media was quite clearly
played out. At some point, somebody from Imagine IC walked into the hardware
presentation with a camera. Some of the Moroccan girls in the group
inmediately hit their faces, they did not want to be on? film. After the
kids had left, there was a discussion among Donna and Dorien, another
participant in the Genderchangers lab,? whether the reaction against the
presence of the camera was due to religious orthodoxy or whether the guy
filming was just a bit pushy, and whether it sometimes makes total sense for
any of us not to want to be filmed. Dorien pointed out that at another
occassion, maroccan girls could not wait to get on film, but in that case,
they were asked beforehand, and they had had plenty of time to prepare
themelves. Interestingly, in our Virtual Shelters workshop the person who
did not want to be filmed was one of the few of the refugees present who has
permission to stay. Those who are most vulnerable were the least worried by
the cameras present.
During the discussion with Donna and Dorien, a man and his daughter came to
ask whether his daughter could participate in a Gender Changers workshop. He
asked how can this be a real course, if its only process. Then Donna
explained that because they are always here they can always work, and give
presentations at any time. Also, it doesn?t cost anything. The man then
asked why is it only for women. Donna explained the Gender Changers
philosophy of building a peer pool for women to draw on and she also said
that most of the women who attend their workshops find it easier to learn
from women, and generally know less about technology, Then the man said,
you?re right, I am a systems engineer. |
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