»Gendering Marteloscopes«
Zum AnfangAn integrative approach to [Bio-]DiversityGendering Marteloscopes
encourages a reappraisal of »monoculture« in the human context, relating to the social as well as the natural environments. This means reflecting on standardization, normalisation and how differences are approached. Within a »natural laboratory« we ask to what extent our view of the Marteloscope is influenced by gender, cultural factors and the perspectives of a particular academic discipline. A Marteloscope is a hectare of forest in which every tree is numbered. Here trees can be selected and assessed in terms of both their ecological and economic value, with the aid of an app on a tablet device. Both »Gendering Marteloscopes« and the use of Marteloscopes promote an integrative concept. The aim is to bring together ecological and economic issues and to raise awareness of the diversity of humankind alongside the biodiversity of flora and fauna.
Using the tablet
two values can be ascertained:
the economic value of a tree, measured quantitatively in euros. The size, growth and the kind of tree play a role here.
The ecological value of a tree can also be estimated. This depends on the qualitative features of a tree as an individual potential habitat. What structures does the tree exhibit? Are there broken or dead branches, or fissures in the bark perhaps? Is it likely that a woodpecker might settle in a cavity or could rare kinds of insects live here? What lichens and moss are to be found?
The visibility of the values is paramount. Which values can be regarded as equivalent, or evaluated as being higher or lower?
the economic value of a tree, measured quantitatively in euros. The size, growth and the kind of tree play a role here.
The ecological value of a tree can also be estimated. This depends on the qualitative features of a tree as an individual potential habitat. What structures does the tree exhibit? Are there broken or dead branches, or fissures in the bark perhaps? Is it likely that a woodpecker might settle in a cavity or could rare kinds of insects live here? What lichens and moss are to be found?
The visibility of the values is paramount. Which values can be regarded as equivalent, or evaluated as being higher or lower?
Using the tablet
Videography on the diversity
Perspectives and evaluationsVideography on the diversity
In the following videos students can be accompanied as they carry out two different exercises in a Marteloscope in Freiburg. Firstly, small groups select a tree with the aid of the tablet which they have been able to identify as a habitat individual on the basis of ecological criteria, and secondly an economically profitable Douglas fir which they would harvest. The visit to this stretch of woodland together with the media team Gendering MINT digital was part of a course given by Patrick Pyttel, Assistant Professor at the chair of Silviculture at the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg.
VideographyExercise I [selection of habitat tree]– Exercise II [selection of profitable Douglas fir]
Description of exercise I
Exercise IDeadwood and habitat trees
Exercise I Bark structure in a habitat tree
Description of exercise II
Douglasien ernten
Exercise IITo harvest or not to harvest?
Literature
Literature
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Mangelsdorf, Marion/Mikoleit, Ronja/Schmitz, Sigrid & Fetzner, Daniel (2018) Gendering Marteloskope – Digitalisierung von Gender-Wissen im MINT-Bereich. Proceedings of 4th Gender & IT Conference, Heilbronn, Germany (GenderIT’18), 225-227
Pyttel, Patrick/Kraus, Daniel/Schuck, Andreas/Krumm, Frank/Bauhus, Jürgen (2018) Mit »Marteloskopen« lehren und lernen, in: AFZ-DerWald 4: 26–29
Link
Integrate+ – Marteloscopes Site
Pyttel, Patrick/Kraus, Daniel/Schuck, Andreas/Krumm, Frank/Bauhus, Jürgen (2018) Mit »Marteloskopen« lehren und lernen, in: AFZ-DerWald 4: 26–29
Link
Integrate+ – Marteloscopes Site
Videography on biodiversity
Biodiversity of flora and fauna
In this section we leave the human with his or her different points of view and turn to flora and fauna. What diversity of species can we find? And what limitations or potentials can become themes at this site? To what extent can the integrative application of the Marteloscope be helpful in enabling biodiversity to unfold? »Gendering Marteloscopes« aims to make clear that our view of biological diversity is also gendered, culturally shaped and influenced by particular disciplines. We can demonstrate this using the example of plant propagation, with special attention to trees.
Propagation in the woods
Propagation in the woods
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Plants and parts of plants – such as the cones of trees – are distinguished as masculine or feminine from their appearance. This categorization is oriented towards human sexuality and the way human sexual organs are described. Linnaean taxonomy developed by the natural scientist Linnaeus in the 18th century was the preferred method of classification in botany well into the 19th century. It focuses in a particular manner on the difference between male and female sexual parts in plants (cf. Schiebinger 1995, 31). »Thinking about nature is structured by the conscious and unconscious use of metaphors. Whether one unites plants in heterosexual wedlock or commits them to competitive forms of propagation strategies, the particular behaviour and characteristics of plant life are always brought to the fore while others are shut out.« (Schiebinger 1995, 49)
»Linnaeus’ classification did not depend so much on natural conditions but far more on the projection of patriarchal sexual concepts, whereby he focuses on ›active‹, ›stamens‹, (penis), and ›passive‹, ›stigmata‹ (vulva), ›pistils‹ or ›carpels‹ (vagina) with connotations of heightened ›feelings of shame‹.« (Termeer 2005, 122) This leads to a hierarchical (hetero-)sexualisation of plants.
Linnaeus »interpreted nature through the prism of social relationships, so that the new botanic idiom incorporated the same basic conditions pertaining to the social as to natural world.« (Schiebinger 1995: 34) Within the framework of Linnaeus’ taxonomy the sexuality of plants was related to »being wed« and to marriage (Schiebinger 1995: 43; cf. also 1996). An approach that looks at these human-nature relationships and thus makes an issue of the dichotomy of culture and nature is that of Queer Ecologies. The Queer Ecologies approach raises questions about »(…) the ›naturalness‹ of biological reproduction processes and the production of life:« (Bauhardt 2012, 10) This also involves casting doubt on gender hierarchies in the division of labour, the purported female responsibility for social reproduction and the legitimation of this through ›naturalness‹ (cf. Bauhardt 2012). »The queer perspective on natural social relationships throws into question any recourse to natural conditions, since the view of ›nature‹ is always preconditioned by the social construction of the two-gender system and assumptions about the ›naturalness‹ of heterosexual reproduction.« (Bauhardt 2012, 11)
»Linnaeus’ classification did not depend so much on natural conditions but far more on the projection of patriarchal sexual concepts, whereby he focuses on ›active‹, ›stamens‹, (penis), and ›passive‹, ›stigmata‹ (vulva), ›pistils‹ or ›carpels‹ (vagina) with connotations of heightened ›feelings of shame‹.« (Termeer 2005, 122) This leads to a hierarchical (hetero-)sexualisation of plants.
Linnaeus »interpreted nature through the prism of social relationships, so that the new botanic idiom incorporated the same basic conditions pertaining to the social as to natural world.« (Schiebinger 1995: 34) Within the framework of Linnaeus’ taxonomy the sexuality of plants was related to »being wed« and to marriage (Schiebinger 1995: 43; cf. also 1996). An approach that looks at these human-nature relationships and thus makes an issue of the dichotomy of culture and nature is that of Queer Ecologies. The Queer Ecologies approach raises questions about »(…) the ›naturalness‹ of biological reproduction processes and the production of life:« (Bauhardt 2012, 10) This also involves casting doubt on gender hierarchies in the division of labour, the purported female responsibility for social reproduction and the legitimation of this through ›naturalness‹ (cf. Bauhardt 2012). »The queer perspective on natural social relationships throws into question any recourse to natural conditions, since the view of ›nature‹ is always preconditioned by the social construction of the two-gender system and assumptions about the ›naturalness‹ of heterosexual reproduction.« (Bauhardt 2012, 11)
Literature
Literature
Vollbild
Bauhardt, Christine (2012) Feministische Ökonomie, Ökofeminismus und Queer Ecologies – feministisch-materialistische Perspektiven auf gesellschaftliche Naturverhältnisse. In: Genderpolitik – online
Schiebinger, Londa (1995) Am Busen der Natur: Erkenntnis und Geschlecht in den Anfängen der Wissenschaft. Aus dem Englischen von Margit Bergner und Monika Noll. Stuttgart: Klett Cotta
Schiebinger, Londa (1996) The Loves of the Plants. In: Scientific American, 274(2): 110–115
Termeer, Marcus (2005) Die Verkörperung des Waldes. Eine Körper-, Geschlechter- und Herrschaftsgeschichte. Bielefeld: Transcript
Schiebinger, Londa (1995) Am Busen der Natur: Erkenntnis und Geschlecht in den Anfängen der Wissenschaft. Aus dem Englischen von Margit Bergner und Monika Noll. Stuttgart: Klett Cotta
Schiebinger, Londa (1996) The Loves of the Plants. In: Scientific American, 274(2): 110–115
Termeer, Marcus (2005) Die Verkörperung des Waldes. Eine Körper-, Geschlechter- und Herrschaftsgeschichte. Bielefeld: Transcript
[Bio-]Diversity – an integrative approach
[Bio-]Diversity
[Bio-]Diversity
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refers to an approach that raises awareness of the wide variety of flora and fauna and of the variety of forms of human existence. The question is, what does it mean, if instead of approaching biodiversity as a scientific phenomenon and diversity as a social scientific one, we treat (bio-)diversity as an integrative concept referring to interdependent »naturecultures«? Generally, biodiversity is used to describe the »variety of life« on Earth. About three decades ago, biological variety became a key concept in the discourses on the environment and nature conservation. Interfaces between social science oriented biodiversity research and gender research have resulted from political initiatives as well as theoretical and methodical parallels. As regards political initiatives the year 2015 can be seen as an important milestone: within the framework of the international convention for preserving biological diversity the so-called Gender Action Plan 2015-2020 came into force. Twenty years after the fourth UN World Conference on Women in Peking in 1995, one of the most important stimuli for discussion on gender and the environment, the Action Plan focussed on themes that were already on the agenda in Peking. It was demonstrated that questions of justice, especially gender equality in a globalized world, are connected to environmental challenges. In this context looking at biodiversity is intimately bound with looking at the diversity within human societies.
Literature
Literature
Vollbild
Mangelsdorf, Marion/Pregernig, Michael/Kuni, Verena (2016) Introduction: (Bio-)Diversity, Gender and Intersectionality. In: Freiburger Zeitschrift für Geschlechterstudien 22(2): 5–15
Subramaniam, Banu/Schmitz, Sigrid (2016) Why We Need Critical Interdisciplinarity: A Dialogue on Feminist Science Technology Studies, Postcolonial Issues, and EcoDiversity. In: Freiburger Zeitschrift für Geschlechterstudien 22(2): 109–122
Subramaniam, Banu/Schmitz, Sigrid (2016) Why We Need Critical Interdisciplinarity: A Dialogue on Feminist Science Technology Studies, Postcolonial Issues, and EcoDiversity. In: Freiburger Zeitschrift für Geschlechterstudien 22(2): 109–122
Production & Design
Production & Design
Production & Design
Vollbild
GENDERING MARTELOSCOPES
is an offshoot of the cooperative project
Gendering MINT digital
funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Gendering MINT digital
Responsibility for the content lies with the authors
Funding reference number
01FP1721, 01FP1722, 01FP1723
Production team and design
Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
Dr. Marion Mangelsdorf
Isabell Schaub
Simon Schwab
Victoria Vonau
Hochschule Offenburg
Prof. Daniel Fetzner
Stefan Salm
Zaid Ghasib
With thanks
to the creators of the Marteloscope
Daniel Kraus, Frank Krumm & Andreas Schuck
cooperation partners at the Albert-Ludwig-University of Freiburg
Bettina Joa
Ronja Mikoleit
Patrick Pyttel
The students
Lioba Martin, Student of Soziology, who worked as a research assistant for the project together with Isabell Schaub
Photo from left to right Stefan Salm, Simon Schwab und Zaid Ghasib
is an offshoot of the cooperative project
Gendering MINT digital
funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Gendering MINT digital
Responsibility for the content lies with the authors
Funding reference number
01FP1721, 01FP1722, 01FP1723
Production team and design
Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
Dr. Marion Mangelsdorf
Isabell Schaub
Simon Schwab
Victoria Vonau
Hochschule Offenburg
Prof. Daniel Fetzner
Stefan Salm
Zaid Ghasib
With thanks
to the creators of the Marteloscope
Daniel Kraus, Frank Krumm & Andreas Schuck
cooperation partners at the Albert-Ludwig-University of Freiburg
Bettina Joa
Ronja Mikoleit
Patrick Pyttel
The students
Lioba Martin, Student of Soziology, who worked as a research assistant for the project together with Isabell Schaub
Photo from left to right Stefan Salm, Simon Schwab und Zaid Ghasib
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Into
Gendering Marteloscopes
Using the tablet
Using the tablet
Videography on the diversity
Videography
Description of exercise I
Deadwood and habitat trees
Bark structure in a habitat tree
Description of exercise II
To harvest or not to harvest?
Biodiversity of flora and fauna
[Bio-]Diversity
Production & Design
