Labour, media and technology: editors’ introduction

Abstract

This special issue considers how the gendered dimensions of technology intersect with labour and media, in both historical and contemporary settings. The junctures where women have gained more access to technology,such as during the Second World War, show that a crisis that disrupts gendered labour patterns can create spaces of possibility. Yet women must still contend with deeply held notions about the relationship between technological proficiency and masculinity that cross space and time. The persistent under-representation of women in technical occupations in the media suggests that the association between masculine labour and technology remains strong. Contributors consider unpaid labour in feminist activism, women's technical work in male-dominated areas of broadcasting and photography, and the impact of technological change on women's careers in the media. New feminist methodological tools for analysing and amplifying hidden layers of media and communication work are also proposed.