Fact and Fiction in a Robotic Society from a Feminist Perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26485/ZRL/2020/63.1/4Keywords:
Ageing, social robotics, care, feminism and technology, Real HumansAbstract
A new narrative of care for the elderly is being constructed in both fiction and our techno-societies that incorporates the use of robots in areas traditionally entrusted to women, reproducing some of the stereotypes historically attributed to them. I propose to analyse representations of robots designed for elder care in the field of science fiction, like in the case of the TV series Real Humans (2012), as well as “real” robots. My aim is to highlight the risks of reproducing gender bias in robotics, where women could continue to perpetuate their role as caregivers. The objective is to show the need to develop a gender perspective in robotics applied to the care of the elderly that will make it possible to change the status quo.
References
Aldinhas María I., Sequeira Joao S. (2017), Robots in Ageing Societies [in:] A World with Robots. Intelligent Systems, Control and Automation: Science and Engineering, eds. Aldinhas M., Se¬queira J., Tokhi M., Kadar E., Virk G., Springer, Abbildungen.
Coeckelbergh Mark (2015), Technology Games/Gender Games. From Wittgenstein’s Toolbox and Language Games to Gendered Robots and Biased Artificial Intelligence [in:] Feminist Philoso¬phy of Technology, eds. J. Loh, M. Coeckelbergh, Metzler, Wien.
Council of the European Union. Resolution 2168 (2017), Human rights of older persons and their comprehensive care [in:] Text adopted by the Standing Committee, https://assembly.coe. int/nw/xml/XRef/Xref-XML2HTML-EN.asp?fileid=23768&lang=en [access: 7.07.2020].
Endler Cordula (2019), Becoming with Technology — the Reconfiguration of Age in the Devel¬opment of a Digital Memory Training [in:] Feminist Philosophy of Technology, eds. Loh J., Coeckelbergh M., Metzler, Wien.
Haraway Donna (1986), A Cyborg Manifesto. Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century [in:] Manifestly Haraway, ed. Haraway D., University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis.
Joyce Kelly, Loe Meika, Diamon-Brown Lauren (2015), Science, Technology and ageing [in:] Routledge Handbook of Cultural Gerontology, eds. J. Twigg, W. Martin, Routledge, New York.
Joyce Kelly, Mamo Laura (2006), Graying the Cyborg: New directions in Feminist Analyses of Age¬ing, Science and Technology [in:] Age Matters. Realigning Feminist Thinking, eds. Calasanti T., Slevin K., Routledge, New York.
Loh Janina (2019), What Is Feminist Philosophy of Technology? A Critical Overview and a Plea for a Feminist Technoscientific Utopia [in:] Feminist Philosophy of Technology, eds. Loh J., Coeckelbergh M., Metzler, Wien.
Lundström Lars dir. (2012), Real Humans (Äkta människor), Sveriges Television (SVT).
Nagel Thomas (1989), The View from Nowhere, Oxford UP, Oxford.
Sharkey Amanda (2016), Should We Place Robots in Social Roles? [in:] What Social Robots Can and Should Do?, eds. Seibt J., Norskov M., S. Schack, IOS Press BV, Amsterdam.
Sparrow Robert, Sparrow Linda (2006), In the hands of machines? The future of aged care, “Minds and Machines”, nr 16.
Vincent Sam, Brackley Jonathan (2015), Humans, Channel 4 and AMC.
