A genealogical exploration of gendered genres in IT cultures

Information technology (IT) is socially constructed, occurring within what can be called an IT culture. In this paper, the argument is presented that IT culture is a masculine culture and that this denies the feminine voice. The paper looks at four formative cultures that have influenced the IT culture, these being the military, academia, engineering and industry. In looking at these, a genealogy is developed, using the voice of a post-modern ethnography. Five ethnographic field studies are revisited by the author to deconstruct the voice of IT culture, showing its masculine genre and the dominance that this has on a feminine voice. The implications for IT as knowledge in practice are discussed.