Women in the Integrated Circuit: A Study Examining the Intersection Between Technology, Subjectivity, and the Academy

The purpose of this study was to better understand the role of technology in the lives of women faculty in higher education. This qualitative case study was situated at the intersection of feminist critiques of technology and feminist endorsements of technology, with attention to the postmodern concepts of subjectivity and agency. The participants were five women with various attitudes toward technology. Multiple methods were used to understand how computer technology shapes the professional and personal experiences of five women. The study’s methods included interviews, observations, and tours of technological objects. The research questions were: 1) How do women faculty navigate and put to use different technology discourses? 2) How are their technology practices contextual and fluid? and 3) How does technology shape their subjectivity and produce agency? This sonata-form case study featured interplay among dominant and tonic themes that represented each participant’s typical (dominant) and unexpected (tonic) approach to technology. Data analysis was guided by theories that informed the study. Four key concepts were discussed: interruption, resistance, submission, and tension. These key concepts were used as the framework for analysis. Implications for administrators, information technology leaders, and faculty development staff are included along with suggestions for future research.