Choose your future: a feminist perspective on Construction 4.0 as techno-utopia or digital dystopia

Abstract

In 2017, the Chancellor of the Exchequer launched the UK Industrial Strategy, inviting society to ‘choose the future’. By way of government support for and investment in digital innovation, particularly in the construction industry and public infrastructure, the strategy was aimed at stimulating the UK’s industrial productivity and wealth. This paper examines the UK Industrial Strategy by applying it within the context of the utopian/dystopian literature genre and through a feminist lens. The paper finds that the strategy looks set to deliver outcomes similar to the themes of the dystopian literature genre, which imagine that technological progress can be achieved only at the expense of social equity, suggesting that the currently gendered idea of Construction 4.0 could exacerbate current gender divisions and inequalities that currently blight the construction industry. Given more balanced strategic support and investment, Construction 4.0 might actually, in a new reality, offer opportunities to resolve issues of gender equity in the industry. The paper concludes with a timely call to researchers and industry professionals to intersect gender inclusivity across all aspects of future research, innovation and strategy in relation to Construction 4.0, so that the chosen future will support the careers and contributions of all genders that choose to participate in it.

The construction industry transformation and the digital divide: Bridging the gap

“…Traditional career structures are becoming less attractive and no longer the norm in the emerging digital environment. 8,10 Furthermore, the labourintensive nature of construction is increasingly lessened by digitisation; automation and robotics increasingly perform physical tasks previously identified as only within men's ability. The new digital environments remove the physical visibility of distinctions between women and men, which reduces the likelihood of gender discrimination.…”

“…Digital technologies will empower women to overcome disadvantage and participate equally in the construction industry. 8 Therefore, the industry can be transformed to become more productive and representative, by using innovative digital technologies.…”

Analysing Gender Issues in the Australian Construction Industry through the Lens of Empowerment

“…In contrast, inappropriate behaviour from other women is seen as perpetuating stereotypes, making it "harder for the rest of us [women] who do an incredibly good job to garner any respect" (pp. [59][60].…”

“…There is, in this, a vicious cycle where the rotation is defined by a masculine culture, and the potential change through women accessing levels of power is subtly denied. Therefore, as Pringle and Winning [59] suggest, "a key question is whether men will be able to let go of forms of masculinity based on their celebration of strength and toughness and denial of women's competencies". It might involve a larger reappraisal of the gender issue, celebrating diversity, and indeed a review of power dynamics.…”

“…Many other studies highlighted that attitude and behavioural stances of focusing on the job and the pleasure of work, rather than gendered issues, help emancipate women from gender norms, becoming an empowering characteristic from within, for women's success in the industry [8,46,49,50,53]. An international study [59] also pointed out the importance of running self-esteem workshops for women to learn to face and handle conflicts in predominantly male workspaces, so an overall work enjoyment can be better achieved. In fact, a study in Sweden reported that women in construction have learnt that they need to "be able to either laugh at or ignore some of the jokes that men may tell at work" [61] (p. 5) and they become "less sensitive to male dominance and discrimination" [61] (p. 5).…”