Digital technologies and the violent surveillance of nonbinary gender

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jama Shelton ◽  
Kel Kroehle ◽  
Emilie K. Clark ◽  
Kristie Seelman ◽  
SJ Dodd
Keyword(s):  
Digital Technology ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Predictive Policing ◽  
Root Cause ◽  
Gender Binary ◽  
Power And Control ◽  
Trans People ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Control

The enforcement of the gender binary is a root cause of gender-based violence (GBV) for trans people. Disrupting GBV requires that we ensure that ‘gender’ is not presumed synonymous with White cisgender womanhood. Transfeminists suggest that attaining gender equity requires confronting all forms of oppression that police people and their bodies, including White supremacy, colonialism and capitalism (Silva and Ornat, 2016; Simpkins, 2016). Part of this project, we argue, includes confronting the structures of GBV embedded within digital technologies that are increasingly part of our everyday lives. Informed by transfeminist theory (Koyama, 2003; Stryker and Bettcher, 2016; Simpkins, 2016; Weerawardhana, 2018), we interrogate the ways in which digital technologies naturalise and reinforce GBV against bodies marked as divergent. We examine the subtler ways that digital technology can fortify binary gender as a mechanism of power and control. We highlight how gendered forms of data violence cannot be disentangled from digital technologies that surveil, police or punish on the basis of race, nationhood and citizenship, particularly in relation to predictive policing practices. We conclude with recommendations to guide technological development to reduce the violence enacted upon trans people and those whose gender presentations transgress society’s normative criteria for what constitutes a compliant (read: appropriately gendered) citizen.<br /><br />Key messages<br /><ul><li>Violence against trans people is inherently gender-based.</li><br /><li>A root cause of gender-based violence against trans people is the strict reinforcement of the gender binary.</li><br /><li>Digital technology and predictive policing can fortify binary gender as a mechanism of power and control.</li><br /><li>Designers of digital technologies and the policymakers regulating surveillance capitalism must interrogate the ways in which their work upholds the gender binary and gender-based violence against trans people.</li></ul>

Digital Technologies and Interventions Against Gender-Based Violence in Rural Areas

2021 ◽  
pp. 105756772110404
Author(s):  
Andrea Adams ◽  
Suzanne G. Lea ◽  
Elsa M. D’Silva
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Gender Violence ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Indian Women ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Culture Of Silence ◽  
Common Barriers

This study reports experiences of combining digital technologies and facilitated interventions to address gender-based violence in rural areas. The methodology was based on the Safecity platform with a combination of communicative methods, digital technologies, and participant-led interventions to address gender-based violence in the State of Bihar and the Satara district in rural India. The findings indicate that the most common barriers to creating change in rural communities include patriarchal mindsets that foster a culture of silence around women's rights, lack of education, digital illiteracy, and lack of access to digital tools and services. Notwithstanding these obstacles, rural Indian women and girls participated in an intervention to create a new narrative informed by technological solutions that addressed gender violence in their communities.

Gender-Based Violence and Legal Frameworks

2020 ◽  
pp. 365-377
Author(s):  
Maria Louis
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
Muscle Power ◽  
Marital Rape ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Human Right ◽  
Root Cause ◽  
Effective Deterrent ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Legal Frameworks

Gender-based violence (GBV) has grown into a pandemic. It has spread its tentacles so far and wide that no country or community in the 21st century is immune from it. There are, of course, laws to prevent GBV and punish the perpetrators of GBV. But, the laws, in general, pathetically fail to yield the desired result and fail to play the role of an effective deterrent as lawmakers themselves, most often, become lawbreakers. It is well known that patriarchy has a vested interest in gender inequality, which is the root cause of GBV. The dominant gender, male, uses violence against all other genders, including female and third gender, as a lethal weapon to prove their muscle-power, pseudo-superiority, and enjoy what is not morally and ethically and legally right. GBV is undoubtedly a human right violation. However, in the land of nonviolence, India, marital rape, among others, is still legal. Things are slowly changing, and it gives hope.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of the Communities Care programme on change in social norms associated with gender-based violence (GBV) with residents in intervention compared with control districts in Mogadishu, Somalia

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. e023819 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Glass ◽  
Nancy Perrin ◽  
Mendy Marsh ◽  
Amber Clough ◽  
Amelie Desgroppes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Care Programme ◽  
Provision Of Services ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Control ◽  
Intervention District

ObjectiveDetermine the effectiveness of the Communities Care programme (CCP) on change in harmful social norms associated with gender-based violence (GBV) and confidence in provision of services with residents in intervention compared with control district. We hypothesised that residents in the intervention district would report a decrease in support for harmful social norms and increase in confidence in services in comparison with control district.SettingThe study was conducted in Mogadishu, Somalia.ParticipantsIn the intervention district, 192 community members (50% women) completed baseline surveys with 163 (84.9%) retained at endline. In the control district, 195 community members (50% women) completed baseline surveys with 167 (85.6%) retained at endline.InterventionCCP uses facilitated dialogues with community members to catalyse GBV prevention actions and provides training to diverse sectors to strengthen response services for GBV survivors.ResultsResidents in the intervention district had significantly greater improvement in change in social norms: (1) response to sexual violence (b=−0.214, p=0.041); (2) protecting family honour (b=−0.558, p<0.001); and (3) husband’s right to use violence (b=−0.309, p=0.003) compared with control district participants. The greatest change was seen in the norm of ‘protecting family honour’ with a Cohen’s d effect size (ES) of 0.70, followed by the norm ‘husband’s right to use violence’ (ES=0.38), and then the norm of ‘response to sexual violence’ (ES=0.28). Residents in intervention district had a significantly greater increase in confidence in provision of GBV services across diverse sectors than the control district (b=0.318, p<0.001) with an associated effect size of 0.67. There were no significant differences between residents in intervention and control districts on change in personal beliefs on the norms.ConclusionThe evaluation showed the promise of CCP in changing harmful social norms associated with GBV and increasing confidence in provision of services in a complex humanitarian setting.

Predictable policing: New technology, old bias, and future resistance in big data surveillance

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 1108-1124
Author(s):  
Xerxes Minocher ◽  
Caelyn Randall
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Science And Technology Studies ◽  
New Technology ◽  
The United States ◽  
Surveillance Network ◽  
Predictive Policing ◽  
Sociotechnical System ◽  
Power And Control ◽  
Data Surveillance ◽  
And Control

Within this article, we explore the rise of predictive policing in the United States as a form of big data surveillance. Bringing together literature from communication, criminology, and science and technology studies, we use a case study of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA to outline that predictive policing, rather than being a novel development, is in fact part of a much larger, historical network of power and control. By examining the mechanics of these policing practices: the data inputs, behavioral outputs, as well as the key controllers of these systems, and the individuals who influenced their adoption, we show that predictive policing as a form of big data surveillance is a sociotechnical system that is wholly human-constructed, biases and all. Identifying these elements of the surveillance network then allows us to turn our attention to the resistive practices of communities who historically and presently live under surveillance – pointing to the types of actions and imaginaries required to combat the myth and allure that swirls around the rhetoric of big data surveillance today.

Is Gender-Based Violence a Social Norm? Rethinking Power in a Popular Development Intervention

2020 ◽  
Vol 126 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-105
Author(s):  
Amy Piedalue ◽  
Amanda Gilbertson ◽  
Kalissa Alexeyeff ◽  
Elise Klein
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Social Norm ◽  
Social Processes ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
The Social ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Critical Revision ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Control

Changing social norms has become the preferred approach in global efforts to prevent gender-based violence (GBV). In this article, we trace the rise of social norms within GBV-related policy and practice and their transformation from social processes that exist in the world to beliefs that exist in the minds of individuals. The analytic framework that underpins social norms approaches has been subject to ongoing critical revision but continues to have significant issues in its conceptualisation of power and its sidelining of the political economy. These issues are particularly apparent in the use of individualised measures of social norms that cannot demonstrate causation, and conflation of social norms with culture. Recognising that the pressure to measure may be a key factor in reducing the complexity of the social norms approach, we call for the use of mixed methods in documenting the factors and processes that contribute to GBV and the effectiveness of interventions. As social norms approaches are increasingly prioritised over addressing the non-normative contributors to GBV (such as access to and control over productive resources), awareness of the limitations of social norms approaches is vital.

Letting go of the gender binary: Charting new pathways for humanitarian interventions on gender-based violence

2014 ◽  
Vol 96 (894) ◽  
pp. 485-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Dolan
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Gender Binary ◽  
Humanitarian Interventions ◽  
Letting Go ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
Gender Based

Increasing acknowledgement in some quarters that women and girls are not the only victims of sexual violence, and that sexual violence is not the only form of gender-based violence (GBV), has yet to be adequately reflected in policy and practice in the humanitarian world.

Engineering real success using digital technologies

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 586
Author(s):  
Craig Phasey ◽  
Steve Ashfield
Keyword(s):  
Systems Engineering ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Digital Systems ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Business Press ◽  
Root Cause ◽  
Business Goals ◽  
And Control

The business press is full of articles extolling the benefits of digital transformation. Although no one wants to be left behind, getting caught up in a craze is not attractive either. But oil and gas companies have used digital technologies, such as computers and control systems for years; how is digitalisation different? The key difference between a company with digital systems and a ‘digital company’ is connection. The former is characterised by disparate, unconnected digital systems, whereas the ‘digital company’ integrates the company’s systems, improving the precision of each. This enables integrated solutions, reducing the potential for counterproductive individual initiatives. Integration enables Big Data and Machine Learning, delivering additional insights. However, integration is not a universal good; as knowledge acquisition has accelerated, so has misinformation. There are better and worse ways to digitalise. Acknowledgement that digitalisation is the way of the future will not induce change or ensure success. Digitalisation is an alternative method to achieve business goals; it is not the goal. To achieve real success using digital technologies, first a significant need must be identified. The root cause of the major business problems must be discovered before appropriate digital technologies to address those problems are selected. The challenge must be led and supported at the C-suite and the solutions must have enterprise-wide impact. Systems engineering digitalisation creates value through a set of initiatives rather than single-point optimisation. Selection of a suitable scalable digital backbone is a key element of successful implementation.

Woman's Body as the Site of Violence in Parijat's Blue Mimosa

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-40
Author(s):  
Indira Acharya Mishra
Keyword(s):  
Gender Roles ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Corporal Punishment ◽  
Feminist Perspective ◽  
Female Characters ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Traditional Gender Roles ◽  
Special Power ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Control

 The article aims to analyze Parijat's Blue Mimosa, which was originally published as Śirīṣako Phūla (1965) from the feminist perspective. Feminists argue that patriarchy is unfriendly to women. They explain that because of biased patriarchal gender roles women suffer from gender-based violence. They claim that in patriarchy men have special power and privileges which allow them to dominate and control women to their benefit. They use corporal punishment and sexual violence in case women deny to submit to them. Thus, feminists protest the imposition of traditional gender roles in the process of socialization. They demand for a more egalitarian perspective towards gender which allows human individuals to live according to their interests and capacities. In Blue Mimosa, the female characters become the victim of gender-based violence. They are physically assaulted, raped, and murdered. Their bodies become the site where men enact violence. Thus, feminism is relevant to analyze the text. The article argues that these female characters become the victim of violence just because they are women. The article helps to understand how women suffer from gender-based violence in patriarchy.

Managing Festivals in a Digital World

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristy Diaz
Keyword(s):  
Digital Technology ◽  
Digital Television ◽  
Mass Communications ◽  
Digital Device ◽  
Digital World ◽  
Power And Control ◽  
Arts And Culture ◽  
Advanced Knowledge ◽  
Access Rights ◽  
And Control

What exactly is digital? Debated by those who are less tech-savvy and those with advanced knowledge alike, the term ‘digital’ has been notoriously difficult to define. We see it used mostly as a prefix – digital device, digital television, digital divide – but, for the purposes of this book when we say ‘digital’ we are referring to the use of digital technology and communications. This chapter focuses on giving you an understanding of how digital technology and communications are used in festival management, and how you can use them to maximise the success and impact of your festival. So why is digital technology so important? Before looking at the practicalities, it is worth looking briefly at how it has developed and has had a fundamental and mostly liberating impact on both marketing and human communications. Digital technology has had an impact on arts and culture in the following ways: mass communications, access, rights and ownership (copyright) and networking, power and control.

scholarly journals Gendering the Arab Spring

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadje Al-Ali
Keyword(s):  
Historical Context ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Women And Gender ◽  
Women's Bodies ◽  
Social Hierarchies ◽  
Gender Regimes ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Arab Spring ◽  
And Control

The article discusses the gendered implications of recent political developments in the region. It argues that women and gender are key to both revolutionary and counter-revolutionary processes and developments and not marginal to them. It explores the significance of women’s involvement, the historical context of women’s political participation and marginalization in political transition. Theoretically, developments in the region point to the centrality of women and gender when it comes to constructing and controlling communities, be they ethnic, religious or political; the significance of the state in reproducing, maintaining and challenging prevailing gender regimes, ideologies, discourses and relations; the instrumentalization of women’s bodies and sexualities in regulating and controlling citizens and members of communities; the prevalence of gender-based violence; the historically and cross-culturally predominant construction of women as second-class citizens; the relationship between militarization and a militarized masculinity that privileges authoritarianism, social hierarchies and tries to marginalize and control not only women but also non-normative men.

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