Donna J. Haraway

Abstract

Donna J. Haraway is a feminist scholar and cultural critic known for her contributions to the fields of science and technology studies, feminist theory, and animal studies. She was born in 1944 in Denver, Colorado, and received her PhD in biology at Yale University. Haraway’s work is characterized by its critical and interdisciplinary approach, drawing on a variety of academic disciplines including science, philosophy, and cultural studies. She is best known for her seminal essay “A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century” (1985), which provides a new way of thinking about the relationships between humans, technology, and nature. This essay is considered a cornerstone of feminist theory, and has a significant impact on the understanding of gender, identity, and technology. Simians, Cyborgs, and Women: The Reinvention of Nature (1991): In this collection of essays, Haraway explores the relationships between science, technology, and nature, and provides a feminist critique of these relationships. Modest_Witness@Second_Millennium.FemaleMan©_Meets_OncoMouse™: Feminism and Technoscience (1997): In this book, Haraway examines the intersection of science, technology, and feminist theory, and provides a critique of the ways in which gender and other social identities shape our relationship to technology. Haraway is also known for her contributions to the field of animal studies. Her book The Companion Species Manifesto: Dogs, People, and Significant Otherness (2003) explores the complex relationships between humans and dogs, and provides new insights into the ways in which humans and animals can form meaningful relationships with one another. Haraway 2004 (cited under General Overview) collects some of Haraway’s most influential essays and articles, and provides an overview of her work to date. When Species Meet (2008): In this book, Haraway reflects on the relationships between humans and other animals, and explores the cultural, social, and political implications of these relationships. In Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene (2016), Haraway offers a vision of a new kind of political and ethical framework that she calls the “Chthulucene,” which emphasizes the interconnectedness of all living beings and the importance of making “kin” across species lines. Manifestly Haraway (2016) by Haraway and Wolfe combines “Cyborg Manifesto” and “Companion Species Manifesto,” includes a conversation, and proposes a feminist “Chthulucene Manifesto” to challenge the dominant narratives of Anthropocene and Capitalocene, while Beyond the Cyborg: Adventures with Donna Haraway (2013) by Grebowicz, Merrick, and Haraway explores her latest work on companion species and impact on feminist theory and philosophy. Haraway, a UC Santa Cruz professor since 1991, is a distinguished emerita in the History of Consciousness Department. Although Haraway’s work is influential in academic circles, it faces criticism for being difficult to understand and abstract, potentially hindering accessibility. Scholars argue that her emphasis on blurring human/nonhuman boundaries could undermine human rights and social justice. Nonetheless, Haraway’s work is widely studied and debated in various academic fields.