Empowerment - What does that even mean?

Talk at Ruby User Group Berlin.

Explaining Empowerment as the activist / political term it originally was.

Transcript

1. Empowerment. What does that even mean?
2. Laura Laugwitz @lauralindal Rails Girls Berlin eurucamp Social + Computer Science = <3
3. Laura Laugwitz @lauralindal Rails Girls Berlin eurucamp Social + Computer Science = <3
11. Empower application X to be more Y Empower Users to buy more Z
12. Empower application X to be more Y Empower Users to buy more Z
15. „[...] empowerment refers to the process by which those who have been denied the ability to make choices acquire such an ability” (Kabeer 2005)
16. „[Empowerment] is understood as improving the political, social, ecomonic and spiritual power of a community or a person that is/are structurally disadvantaged because of constructs such as race, religion, gender, sexuality, class, ability and/or age“ (Brilling, Hamaz, Erguen-Hamaz 2013: 4)
18. "Power can be taken, but not given. The process of the taking is empowerment in itself." (Steinem ~1970)
19. „To understand the situation of oppression, one must first critically recognize its roots in order to then change the situation and create a new one [...]“ (Freire 1974: 34)
21. Understand what is happening
22. !
24. Lovelace & Lamarr & Hopper & Bartik & Granville & Hamilton & Perlman & Borg.
26. Exposure to Computers
27. Confidence Interest →
28. School & University
29. Stereotype Threat Study Groups Classroom
30. Working Life
31. Job Listings Selection Process Interruptions Care Work
33. Undermining the systemic reproduction of inequality
34. individual
35. Learn Understand Support
36. group-related
37. Join Forces Value Cooperation over Competition Keep the Conversation going
38. structural
39. Establish new Structures Establish yourself Promote those who care
40. hiremorewomenintech.com modelviewculture.com geekfeminism.org