Authors:
Yolanda Rankin
Black women must be in charge of Black feminist thought, but being in charge does not mean that others are excluded [1].
—Patricia Hill Collins
Insights
→ Black feminism as a critical design framework means being in relationship with Black women of diverse backgrounds, not just Black women scholars.
→ From a design perspective, Black women must be involved in every phase of product development.
→ One cannot claim to practice Black feminism as a design framework if one lacks empathy, respect, and care for Black women.
Though the field of HCI acknowledges that critical perspectives such as intersectionality are necessary for working toward social justice, many people still struggle with how to apply these critical frameworks in the context of designing technology. Ever since I took on the task of serving as coeditor of Designing at the Intersections, the articles published in this forum have focused on understanding people and their humanity as the first priority before making any decisions about whether or not technology is a possible solution to the problem. One of the criticisms of using intersectionality as a critical framework is that it does not appear to be applicable in the context of designing technology. What seems obvious to those of us who apply intersectional frameworks in our research is less apparent to those who are new to these concepts. In response to this criticism, this article walks through an example of how to apply one intersectional framework, Black feminist thought (BFT), to the design of technology.
Intersectionality and Black Feminist Thought
Let us revisit the concept of intersectionality to foreground this article. As Patricia Hill Collins and Sirma Bilge write, "intersectionality is a way of understanding and analyzing the complexity in the world, in people, and in human experiences…. Social and political life and the self…are generally shaped by many factors in diverse and mutually influencing ways" [2]. Collins and Bilge remind us that people are complex, life is complicated, and that our experiences shape who we are, our social connections, and our political beliefs [2]. Consequently, nothing is as simple as it seems at first glance. Acknowledging this complexity, intersectionality requires us to grapple with the underlying assumptions used to explain people's realities, calling into question whose perspective is valued and whose truth matters. For scholars who are not trained in the social sciences or humanities, wrestling with intersectionality in the context of technology can be a daunting task, one that easily dismisses critical social theories as being less objective, less rigorous, and thus less scientific [3]. The point of criticality, however, is to interrogate existing frameworks, to question why one approach is deemed superior to other epistemologies or theories of knowledge.
As one who champions Black feminist epistemologies, I question who determines which theories are appropriate for conducting research, especially when commonly accepted research methods are rooted in heteropatriarchy and white supremacy [3]. From an epistemological perspective, Black feminist scholars are well aware of the tension between traditional research methods and those indigenous to nondominant populations and the degree of credibility afforded to scholars who apply these methods [3]. Black feminist epistemologies represent Black women's ways of knowing, based on our lived experiences, which are shaped by the intersection of race, gender, and class as well as other aspects of identity such as sexuality, physical ability, and nationality [1,3,4]. Black feminist thought, a critical social theory indicative of a collective Black women's standpoint, demonstrates that Black women are subjugated to a different reality because of our intersectional identities [1]. BFT, which centers the history and legacy of Black women in the U.S., argues that Black women possess specialized knowledge for surviving and resisting anti-Black racism and gendered racism, a specific type of racism that privileges white women while dehumanizing Black women and other women of color [1,5]. Black women scholars who embrace Black feminism as a legitimate body of knowledge testify to the validity of their scholarship being questioned and the lack of respect they endure from colleagues who devalue Black feminist epistemologies [6]. The dismissal of Black women's standpoint theory as being inconsequential in the field of computing reflects the power structures that uphold whiteness, white supremacy, and patriarchy as the norm in both academia and industry while othering socially constructed theories that give voice to marginalized intersectional populations. By drawing attention to the past and present experiences (social context) of Black women in the U.S. (an intersectional population) and how power structures converge (power relations) to produce unequal outcomes (social inequality) for this specific population, BFT qualifies as an intersectional framework [1,2]. It is important to note that BFT is its own critical social theory as well as an example of an intersectional framework. Intersectionality, however, is not equivalent to BFT since intersectionality can be applied to any historically excluded population.
 | Patricia Hill Collins |
Applying BFT as a Critical Framework for Design
As the architect of BFT, Collins emphasizes four dimensions of Black feminist epistemology: "lived experience as a criterion of meaning, use of dialogue, the ethic of personal accountability, and the ethic of caring" [1]. Lived experience as a criterion of meaning is self-explanatory. For those who do not identify as Black women, we can safely assume that their lived experiences do not contribute to the body of knowledge indicative of Black women's collective standpoint [1,7]. This is significant because non-Black women cannot be experts in Black feminism, no matter how well intentioned they may be. Yet I have witnessed non-Black women researchers and designers attempt to design technology for Black women without grounding this work in Black women's lived experiences or being in relationship with Black women. Just to be clear, I am not suggesting that only Black women can practice Black feminism. Before one can practice Black feminism, however, one must become a student of Black feminism, reading Black feminist literature, engaging Black feminist scholars in discussions about Black women's collective standpoint, and establishing relationships with Black women and organizations that serve the needs of Black women [1,4,5].
BFT is its own critical social theory as well as an example of an intersectional framework.
So what does it mean to apply BFT as a design framework? First, practicing Black feminism is an act of resistance [1]. It is the intentional decision to center the experiences and amplify the voices of Black women in tech. Placing Black women as the center of attention conveys the message that Black women are valued producers and consumers of technology, that our perspectives matter. Second, to practice Black feminism means to have relations with Black women of diverse backgrounds, not just Black women scholars. To establish relations with Black women requires continual dialogue with Black women of diverse backgrounds for the purpose of getting to know and understand the diversity of Black women's experiences and perspectives [1]. Conversations with Black women are a good start, but a relationship is more than just talking. In recent years, I have encouraged Black women to exercise their testimonial authority to freely express themselves and their ideas, even when there is disagreement [6]. Conformity is never the goal when designing technology with Black women. Rather, the diverse perspectives create a rich palette for exploring ideas.
Collins [1] argues that personal accountability is very important in Black feminist epistemology. Personal accountability reveals itself in how one thinks about Black women, portrays them in one's work, and relates to them. Your actions must match your words. If there is any discrepancy between what you say and what you do, then this will breed distrust. Likewise, a relationship implies mutual benefit for both entities. As HCI scholars, it means recognizing that Black women are the experts who can best tell you what our information needs are, the role (if any) technology can play in our lives, and how technology should be developed and used to promote equity in our communities. From a design perspective, this means, first, involving Black women in every phase of product development; for example, engaging Black women as codesigners in the conceptualization phase, providing resources to assist Black women with developing prototypes, asking Black women to test prototypes and provide feedback, and so on. Second, listening to Black women and applying their feedback must be integral to the product development process. In exchange, Black women share their knowledge, lived experiences, and talents to inform how we, as designers, think about technology, proactively weigh its implications for Black communities, and ultimately develop technology that does not harm human beings. Third, being in a relationship with Black women serves the purpose of developing one's own critical consciousness [5]. Developing critical consciousness requires a commitment to understanding how one is complicit in systems of patriarchy and anti-Black racism that continue to denigrate Black women. bell hooks [5] refers to critical consciousness as being a repeated self-reflexive process in which an individual interacts with others to understand different forms of oppression, identify blind spots, and unlearn behaviors that harm others. This can be an uncomfortable experience, but I can personally testify that self-reflection is necessary for personal and, from a design perspective, professional growth.
Listening to Black women and applying their feedback must be integral to the product development process.
One cannot claim to practice BFT as a critical design framework if one lacks empathy, respect, and care for Black women. This is why an ethic of care—I prefer the word love because it implies selflessness—is necessary for using BFT as a design paradigm [1]. Applying BFT as a design framework requires you to love and protect Black women. For example, as a scholar in the HCI community, I obtain permission to work with human subjects, conduct numerous research studies, publish research papers, and apply for grants to support my work. I engage in these scholarly practices because they are valued by the HCI community and serve as prerequisites for professional development, scholarly achievements, and recognition. However, my research agenda is secondary to what is in the best interest of Black women. I have chosen to not publish papers because I placed the well-being of Black women above my desire for a publication. Because of these competing interests, I have decided that it was more important to be true to myself and my community, which includes Black women in computing.
In closing, I recognize my privilege as an upper-middle-class, highly educated Black woman. To whom much is given, much is required. As such, I have a responsibility to love, serve, and protect my community. Anything less than that is exploitation, and Black people are tired of being used as human subjects or codesigners without receiving proper recognition and adequate compensation for their time, data, or intellectual property. It is my hope that by writing this article and sharing my insights, others will have a better idea about how to apply intersectional frameworks as an approach to design.
References
1. Collins, P.H. Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment. Routledge, New York, 2000.
2. Collins, P.H. and Bilge, S. Intersectionality. Polity Press, Cambridge, U.K., 2016.
3. Collins, P.H. Intersectionality as Critical Social Theory. Duke Univ. Press, Durham, NC, 2019
4. Erete, S., Rankin, Y.A., and Thomas, J.O. I can't breathe: Reflections from Black women in CSCW and HCI. Proc. of the ACM Human-Computer Interaction 4, CSCW3 (2020), 1–23.
5. hooks, b. Feminism Is for Everybody: Passionate Politics. Pluto Press, London, U.K., 2000.
6. Rankin, Y.A., Thomas, J.O., and Erete, S. Black women speak: Examining power, privilege, and identity in CS education. ACM Trans. on Computing Education 21, 4 (2021), 1–31
7. Harding, S.G., ed. The Feminist Standpoint Theory Reader: Intellectual & Political Controversies, Routledge, New York, 2004.
Author
Yolanda Rankin is an associate professor at Emory University. Her research focuses on leveraging Black feminist epistemologies to advance the representation and retention of Black women in the field of computing. She is a recipient of the National Science Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development Award (2023-28). [email protected]
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 license.
The Digital Library is published by the Association for Computing Machinery. Copyright © 2024 ACM, Inc.
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@antony (2024 10 07)
perfecct