Tour: Gender, Work, and Communication Technologies (with FHNW)

When discussing the history of calculating machines and computer technologies, the significant contribution of women to the development of new technologies is often overlooked. Historically, programming was long considered "women's work," and numerous female mathematicians played a crucial role in creating programming codes. It was only with the emergence of computer science as an economic sector that female workers were gradually pushed out of this field, and technology increasingly became associated with masculinity.

The interactive tour "Gender, Work, and Communication Technologies" offers insights into various stages of the history of communication technologies and highlights the role gender plays in this field.

During the tour, you will learn more about home-based work in the 1980s and the work of telephone operators in Switzerland. Additionally, you will hear firsthand experiences from one of Switzerland's first female programmers. The tour begins with a brief introduction to the topics of gender, work, and technology.

Costs

The event costs the entrance fee (day pass) to Enter Technikwelt Solothurn. Tickets can be found below.

Speakers

Marianne Artho is the first and oldest programmer in Switzerland. In her contribution, the pioneer shares her experiences starting as a programmer at IBM in 1963.
 
Anna Baumann (University of Bern) is researching the history of home office work in her dissertation. She focuses on telework in the 1980s and 1990s in Switzerland, examining the connections between labor and gender history. In her input, Anna will show how the technical development of personal or home computers initiated negotiation processes about gender-specific work organization at the dawn of the "digital age." Telework was seen either as a promising or outdated form of work and was politicized accordingly.
 
Larissa Schüller (University of Zurich) has addressed the everyday physical and linguistic practices of telephone operators in the early 20th century in her dissertation, demonstrating that the telephone exchange served as a node for various knowledge streams concerning the functioning of communication. In her input, Larissa will discuss the training and experiences of telephone operators.
 
Daniela Zetti (University of Lübeck) is a historian with a particular interest in the history of technology and media. She is currently researching archives on the early networking of computers in the 1960s and radio studios as buildings of the media age. In her introduction, she will discuss historical connections between gender, work, and communication in the 20th century.

Image: Social Archive