Mary M. Lay
Mary M. Lay discusses the need for the redefinition of Technical Communication to involve a more feministic approach. Lay speaks of technical communication in the past as known for the affiliation with scientific research. As of the 1980’s and 1990’s technical communication has adapted ethnography and anthropological research methods. It has included them to involve within the workplace environment. This is when Lay develops her concern for feminist theory.
Lay is concerned with the matters of objectivism and ethnography in means of collaboration. Lay defines her theory with six categories that discuss feminist qualities and three categories that define debate among feminists.
Characteristics of feminist theory include:
1. Celebration of difference
2. Theory activating social change
3. Acknowledgment of scholar’s backgrounds and values
4. Inclusion of women’s experiences
5. Study of gaps and silences in traditional scholarship
6. New sources of knowledge – perhaps a benefit of the five characteristics above
Lay goes on to discuss the six points stating that women celebrate difference because they do not want to be defined in a general sense. That women value new knowledge and hope that leads to a better understanding. In terms of research women will place themselves on the same level as the subject of the research to better understand that subject. Women value their experiences as well as others and try to relate. Women will explore the unknown and criticize the original study or definitions. Five refers to the knowledge and information that women receive is compared to historical moments and past experiences, instead of an individual person or instance. Lastly, that self image is not just personal experience but is interpreted by others.
Lay goes on to discuss the three issues of debate among feminists:
1. Should feminists emphasize similarities or differences among men and women?
2. Should these differences be located in cultural or biological traits?
3. Should these first two issues promote or displace binary opposition?
The first debate talks about the differences or similarities among men and women. Lay talks about whether these characteristics should be accepted or if a state of androgyny should be erected.
Next she discusses whether these differences should be recognized as cultural or biological. She brings up the maximalist approach which is there are basic differences between the sexes and that they are essentially culturalistic. The minimalist position states that men and women are essentially similar and the gender differences are superficial and socially constructed.
The third issue is dealing with masculinity and femininity whether they should be separate and if so women are placed below men on a hierarchical scale.
Lay goes on to talk about objectivity, scientific method, and ethnography. Basically Lay is telling her audience that technical communication is formerly known as research and not only research but quantitative scientific method research that doesn’t leave much room for a subjective approach. Now that technical communication has evolved so should the definition. Women or more predominant in technical communication than before and ethnography is a more popular research method. Lay is trying to ask the question how is research methods presented by women going to change technical communication, in the sense that when women do research especially ethnography they will have different backgrounds and influences then that of men. Women are inherently more nurturing and concerned about feelings. In the matter of collaboration which Lay thinks will be the most effected, she discusses the potential conflict and difference between men and women and how the conflict would be resolved. Most importantly Lay questions whether these should be issues for technical communication and if so what kind of definition would be given to technical communication in the future.
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2 comments:
Before reading this summary, I really didn't think about the feminist approach to technical communication. It wasn't that I didn't think women have a role in technical fields, but I never really distinguished their view from a masculine view. In my own experiences as a writer, I guess I've always assumed there was only one correct way to do everything, and I hoped I was using that way. Now I see from the characteristics of feminist theory, that women bring in a different perspective. I think this is especially true in terms of ethnography because it relies more on observation and questions, and according to Lay, women will place themselves on the same level as the subject of the research to better understand that subject.
As technical communication practices evolve, I believe that feminist views will definitely help effectively communicate ideas to users. I don't discredit the masculine view, but I think they both provide meaningful insight into effective communication practices.
I've never been especially comfortable with the characterization of empirical research as masculine and ethnographic research as feminine. I agree that there can be both masculine and feminine approaches to conducting research, either of which can be useful depending upon the situation. The same is true of empirical versus ethnographic research. However, in my opinion, the concept of linking different forms of research to a particular gender is called into question by the great body of empirical data produced by female researchers, as well as all of the ethnographic data produced by male researchers.
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