Close Encounters of the Feminist Kind with Research and Innovation

Liisa Husu,Yvonne Benschop

doi:10.20897/femenc/11155

Abstract

Introduction to the Special Issue of Feminist Encounters on ‘Close Encounters of the Feminist Kind with Research and Innovation.’

Highlights

Close Encounters of the Feminist Kind with Research and InnovationFeminist encounters with research and innovation are often not self-evident. Even though the EU has been addressing the issue of women and gender in science since the 1990s, and has pushed the agenda for responsible research and innovation (RRI) for a decade it is still not obvious that this responsibility stretches to include feminist perspectives on research and innovation
In this spirit, we situate this special issue in the long tradition of feminist work in different disciplines that critically interrogates the fields of research and innovation, and enriches it with sophisticated conceptualisations, critical methodologies and reflexive modes of situated knowledge production
Looking at innovation as a gendered phenomenon means asking questions about what constitutes innovation discursively and materially, the places and spaces where innovation takes place, and unpacking who gets to participate in innovation activities as innovator or as recipient of innovations (Alsos, Ljunggren, and Hytti, 2013; Andersson, Berglund, Gunnarsson, and Sundin, 2012). Another example of widening the debate about innovation can be found under the catchy label of gendered innovations, a project that sets out to employ the creative power of sex, gender and intersectional analysis as a resource to stimulate the development of new knowledge and innovation in all phases of research in multiple disciplines from science, health and medicine, to engineering, environment and economics (Schiebinger, 2021)

Summary

Close Encounters of the Feminist Kind with Research and Innovation

Feminist encounters with research and innovation are often not self-evident. Even though the EU has been addressing the issue of women and gender in science since the 1990s, and has pushed the agenda for responsible research and innovation (RRI) for a decade it is still not obvious that this responsibility stretches to include feminist perspectives on research and innovation. Responding to the Grand Challenges of the 21st century around ecological sustainability, digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence, and intersectional inequalities requires a further strengthening of research and innovation, and this cannot be done properly without incorporating attention to feminist perspectives and feminist knowledge (Benschop, forthcoming) In this spirit, we situate this special issue in the long tradition of feminist work in different disciplines that critically interrogates the fields of research and innovation, and enriches it with sophisticated conceptualisations, critical methodologies and reflexive modes of situated knowledge production. We provide a short discussion of the articles included in this special issue

OVERVIEW OF THE SPECIAL ISSUE

FUTURE ENCOUNTERS