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The Smart Wife
Why Siri, Alexa, and Other Smart Home Devices Need a Feminist Reboot
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Check link for latest rating. ( 77 ratings, 14 reviews)
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Format: Paperback / softback
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"A fascinating look at the gendering of smart homes, how they came to be so, and how modern households can and should be domains of equality"--
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Description
The life and times of the Smart Wife—feminised digital assistants who are friendly and sometimes flirty, occasionally glitchy but perpetually available.
Meet the Smart Wife—at your service, an eclectic collection of feminised AI, robotic, and smart devices. This digital assistant is friendly and sometimes flirty, docile and efficient, occasionally glitchy but perpetually available. She might go by Siri, or Alexa, or inhabit Google Home. She can keep us company, order groceries, vacuum the floor, turn out the lights. A Japanese digital voice assistant—a virtual anime hologram named Hikari Azuma—sends her "master" helpful messages during the day; an American sexbot named Roxxxy takes on other kinds of household chores.
In The Smart Wife, Yolande Strengers and Jenny Kennedy examine the emergence of digital devices that carry out "wifework"—domestic responsibilities that have traditionally fallen to (human) wives. They show that the principal prototype for these virtual helpers—designed in male-dominated industries—is the 1950s housewife: white, middle class, heteronormative, and nurturing, with a spick-and-span home. It's time, they say, to give the Smart Wife a reboot.
What's wrong with preferring domestic assistants with feminine personalities? We like our assistants to conform to gender stereotypes—so what? For one thing, Strengers and Kennedy remind us, the design of gendered devices re-inscribes those outdated and unfounded stereotypes. Advanced technology is taking us backwards on gender equity. Strengers and Kennedy offer a Smart Wife "manifesta," proposing a rebooted Smart Wife that would promote a revaluing of femininity in society in all her glorious diversity.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
The Smart Wife by Yolande Strengers and Jenny Kennedy has received praise for its provocative and engaging examination of smart home technology and the gendered nature of virtual assistants. Reviewers appreciate its insight into how traditional gender stereotypes influence new technologies, urging readers to consider building smarter homes that address care crises. The authors' thoughtful research and humorous yet analytical approach offer a valuable reflection on AI's societal role, presenting an enlightening look at past and future technologies.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780262542791
Publisher: MIT Press Ltd
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 31 August 2021
Country: United States
Imprint: MIT Press
Illustration: 33 figures
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 152.0mm
Height: 229.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 320
About the Author
Yolande Strengers is Associate Professor of Digital Technology and Society in the Emerging Technologies Research Lab at Monash University, Melbourne. Jenny Kennedy is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the School of Media and Communication at RMIT University, Melbourne.
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