Linda Gilmore
Feminist Theory in Technical Communication : Making Knowledge Claims Visible Journal of Business and Technical Communication 2002 16: 441 Elizabeth Overman Smith and Isabelle Thompson
Overman Smith and Thompson's study of, "...the ways in which knowledge about women and feminism was introduced, discussed, tested, and revised in technical communication" involved an analysis of 50 articles about women and feminism in technical communication that were published from 1989 to 2000. They classified these articles into four major themes concerning the inclusion of women: sexist language and equal opportunity, gender differences, recovery of women’s historical contributions to technical communication, and critiques of representations of women and of representations that exclude women (p. 442). This survey included several works by Lay, including her article, "Feminist Theory and the Redefinition of Technical Communication."
In Lay's breakthrough article, she outlines specific ways in which feminist theory could be applied to the field, and definition of, technical communication. The Overman Smith, Thompson survey covered three areas of potential gender differences in the workplace: Knowledge and Language Use; Collaboration; Research Reviews; Calls for Political Action. This evaluation did not reveal any substantial gender differences in the work place, though the authors were careful to make clear that, "this conclusion does not suggest that gender differences do not exist or that gender does not influence behavior and attitudes" (p. 464.)
Perhaps, a contributing factor in these findings is that work published in the earlier years of this survey, like Lay's, had an impact upon attitudes, approaches, and behaviors in the workplace that resulted in fewer expressions of gender differences. The broadening of the definition of the field of technical communication to include characteristics of feminist theory as outlined in Lay's article, and other work, may have also been an influence.
A survey of published writing like Overman Smith and Thompson's provides us with a progressive documentation of information as well as the potential reflection of the affect of that writing.
In Lay's breakthrough article, she outlines specific ways in which feminist theory could be applied to the field, and definition of, technical communication. The Overman Smith, Thompson survey covered three areas of potential gender differences in the workplace: Knowledge and Language Use; Collaboration; Research Reviews; Calls for Political Action. This evaluation did not reveal any substantial gender differences in the work place, though the authors were careful to make clear that, "this conclusion does not suggest that gender differences do not exist or that gender does not influence behavior and attitudes" (p. 464.)
Perhaps, a contributing factor in these findings is that work published in the earlier years of this survey, like Lay's, had an impact upon attitudes, approaches, and behaviors in the workplace that resulted in fewer expressions of gender differences. The broadening of the definition of the field of technical communication to include characteristics of feminist theory as outlined in Lay's article, and other work, may have also been an influence.
A survey of published writing like Overman Smith and Thompson's provides us with a progressive documentation of information as well as the potential reflection of the affect of that writing.
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