The Head and the Heart

Abstract

In recent years there has been a good deal of healthy experimentation with system development methods and work organization, particularly within Scandinavia. This paper attempts to go further into the question of the development and use of computer systems by using a gender analysis of the issues. Specifically, it examines the organization of labor and patterns of communication used in developing computer systems. It suggests that the use of gender-biased dichotomies strongly influences both the questions system developers ask and the way questions are asked.