I think "feminist engineering" is a funny phrase. I imagine machines generating feminists, housewives engineering their children to be feminists, engineering students designing with women in mind as a potential end-user, an engineering philosophy that acknowledges and subverts the effect of patriarchal society on design - both what is designed and how.
As a funny side note, other people have come up with their own ideas. David Durlach, founder of Technofrolics, defines a feminist engineer as someone who is inspired to create affectionate technology. In other words, a feminist engineer designs products with emotional value. I think it's an interesting idea, a bit heavy-handed as far as relying on stereotypes, but interesting. I kind of want to work for them.
This whole discussion is part of why I got involved in SWE in the first place. I want to talk about what it means to do feminist engineering and be a feminist engineer. I want to encourage more women and minorities to get engineering degrees. I want to be surrounded by people who feel similarly. I mean honestly, SWE is the closest thing we have to a women's group on campus (I'm not going to count Girls' Bible Study - first off, it's for girls). I really want SWE to mean more to me than planning stupid study breaks. I'm really starting to hate study breaks. That's part of why I decided to RSVP "yes" to the SWE Collegiate Leadership Forum - I'm hoping it will help me get a new perspective on the organization.
Monday, July 09, 2007
That Healthy Lifestyle I Was Talking About
I'm not sure what I want this blog to be. Or more accurately, I'm not sure what this blog will be.
In a way, it's become one of those things that I want to do, and every once in a while make an effort to do, but never manage to work into my daily routine (ex. yoga, meditation, exercise, washing my face, flossing etc.) It's part of the healthy lifestyle that I envision for myself - one where I write often and fluently, where I am quick-witted and critical, where I have a foundation of solid, well-articulated beliefs.
Somehow, I lost all of these ambitions between motivation and execution. I feel like this happens a lot in regards to my ever elusive healthy lifestyle. Part of it is that I like clean starts - usually this means delaying any change to my daily pattern until I move someplace new and have to change my whole routine anyway. In the process, I forget/lose motivation for all of those little things I was going to do.
I depend a lot on routines. I always feel vaguely uncomfortable in a new place/situation for about a week, until I can develop a routine about it. That's part of why I'm so terrible at being spontaneous - I like to know a little ahead of time so I can adjust my mental routine around it. I'm a lot like my dad that way.
It's also part of why I like boats. Boats always have a routine. It's easy to fall into, from the first day on board. It makes them feel comfortable.
In a way, it's become one of those things that I want to do, and every once in a while make an effort to do, but never manage to work into my daily routine (ex. yoga, meditation, exercise, washing my face, flossing etc.) It's part of the healthy lifestyle that I envision for myself - one where I write often and fluently, where I am quick-witted and critical, where I have a foundation of solid, well-articulated beliefs.
Somehow, I lost all of these ambitions between motivation and execution. I feel like this happens a lot in regards to my ever elusive healthy lifestyle. Part of it is that I like clean starts - usually this means delaying any change to my daily pattern until I move someplace new and have to change my whole routine anyway. In the process, I forget/lose motivation for all of those little things I was going to do.
I depend a lot on routines. I always feel vaguely uncomfortable in a new place/situation for about a week, until I can develop a routine about it. That's part of why I'm so terrible at being spontaneous - I like to know a little ahead of time so I can adjust my mental routine around it. I'm a lot like my dad that way.
It's also part of why I like boats. Boats always have a routine. It's easy to fall into, from the first day on board. It makes them feel comfortable.