Michela Cozza

Bridging Gender Gaps, Networking in Computer Science

Abstract Characterized by the scarce presence of women, the Computer Science sector is based on a gendered organizational culture that risks reproducing inequality because of hegemonic masculinity and a genderblind perspective. Mentoring and telementoring are intended to assist women in career development, establishing a (“real” or virtual) space where professional women as mentors and young women as protégées share knowledge and exchange experiences. The mentor may provide advice, support, protection, promotion, and sponsorship, thereby increasing an individual’s capacity by developing her social capital. The construction of a network like this may be useful to support young women’s careers and foster more gender-friendly organizational cultures, especially in scientific and technological sectors. Specific resources should be allocated to mentoring programs to better address issues of underrepresentation of women in science and technology. Such initiatives can be an important factor in bridging gaps and overcoming barriers to advancement faced by women.

Ubiquitous technologies for older people

In this paper, we present a close reading of work in ubicomp of applications for older people. Starting from three lines of enquiry defined in the inaugural issue of this journal, we discuss how ubicomp research has presented the relationship between technologies and older users. We base our reasoning on a review of papers published in Personal and Ubiquitous Computing (1997–2014). The lines of enquiry refer to paradigms (functional vs. sociotechnical), users (stereotype and involvement), and contexts (indoor and/or outdoor). These themes address the presentation of SUITCASE project (SUstainable Integrated & Territorial CAre SErvices). This is a two-year research on care services for older citizens within the smart home construct. We develop an initial framework that not only provides a cohesive view of technologies for older people, but also serves as a salient guideline for reflective design which extends beyond the target population. This framework may also address future design projects, funding schemes, and editorial policies.

Organizational members as storywriters: on organizing practices of reflexivity

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe how organizational members became storywriters of an important process of organizational change. Writing became a practice designed to create a space, a time and a methodology with which to author the process of change and create a learning context. The written stories produced both the subjectivity of practical authors and reflexively created the con/text for their reproduction. Design/methodology/approach A storywriting workshop inspired by a processual and participatory practice-based approach to learning and knowing was held in a research organization undergoing privatization. For six months, 31 organizational members, divided into two groups, participated in writing one story per week for six weeks. The written story had to refer to a fact that had occurred in the previous week, thus prompting reflection on the ongoing organizational life and giving a situated meaning to the change process. Findings Storywriting is first and foremost a social practice of wayfinding, that is of knowing as one goes. Writing proved to be an effective practice that involved the authors, their narratives and the audiences in a shared experience where all these practice elements became connected and through their connection acquired agency. Originality/value Narrative knowledge has been studied mainly in storytelling, while storywriting by organizational members has received less attention. This paper explores storywriting both as a situated, relational and material practice and as the process that produces narratives which can be considered for their content and their style.

Interoperability and Convergence for Welfare Technology

Interoperability and convergence are two key features of any working sociotechnical infrastructure that includes a plurality and multiplicity of communities of practice using technologies. However, as information systems scale up and the heterogeneity of users increases, it becomes challenging to actualise interoperability and convergence. When it comes to welfare services, the development of interoperable information systems and converging communities of practice is key to the quality and efficiency of services, both for practitioners and users. This paper elaborates on these concepts and their practical relevance by presenting and discussing data from a research project on ageing and welfare technology in Sweden. A participatory approach is meant to act as methodological support for the actualisation of interoperability and convergence even though socio-organisational and political constraints cannot be fully overcome once for all.

The VEGA-VEnice GAteway for Science and Technology Park: Is It a Generative Infrastructure?

Most literature has analysed Science Parks (SPs) as an economic space. However, I propose to analyse them as a relational place where knowledge and productive processes are intertwined. Applying the concept of infrastructure–as defined in Science and Technology Studies (STS)–this chapter is devoted to understanding if SPs are generative infrastructures which enact innovation. This concept is related to the seedbed metaphor meaning an environment where innovation can grow through convergence between people and things. This theoretical framework will frame the analysis of empirical data collected from my qualitative research on Italian SPs, conducted from 2011 to 2013. Precisely, I will present the case-study of VEGA-VEnice GAteway for Science and Technology and the failure of its project regarding the construction of the smart building Pandora. The case-study embodies common dynamics of Italian SPs, and it contributes to addressing challenges for future research.

Remembering and telling the past: a qualitative study of organizational change

In this paper I will discuss some results of a research project aimed at studying the transformation of an important Research Centre of North Italy. Organizational actors have been involved as storytellers of this organizational change. They have reconstructed the trajectories of change, telling about the influence of change on their organizational relations and working experience. Using texts collected in the form of weekly diaries, I will discuss how the organizational remembering has taken place as practical accomplishment, and how it has enabled a reflexive process.

Traiettorie ed intrecci nelle storie di carriera di uomini e donne. Una lettura di genere delle transizioni tra lavoro e non lavoro

Trajectories and weaves in women’s and men’s career stories. A gender perspective of transitions between work and not work Studies on gender, work and organizations have shown that the persistence of significant disparities between women and men’s organizational careers is related to several factors. This article is based on 52 narrative interviews with women and men employed in some of the most important sectors in the province of Trento. We applied an analytic perspective to look at careers not as single lines, but as complex phenomena, weaves of trajectories linked to different dimensions. In particular the attention focused on turning points in the professional careers, in order to highlight the processes of identity and gender positioning and the mechanisms that generate inequalities in mens and women’s professional careers.

La cultura degli opposti : pensiero scientifico e sviluppo tecnologico in una prospettiva di genere

La cultura degli opposti : Pensiero scientifico e sviluppo tecnologico in una prospettiva di genere