Ford School professor Shobita Parthasarathy, director of the Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program, shares her thoughts on International Day of Women and Girls in Science. In an episode of the Michigan Minds podcast, produced by the University of Michigan Public Engagement and Impact Office and the Office of the Vice President for Research, she says that people think of technology as good and they want more of it. What inspired her research is that the situation is more complicated: technology is not only “good,” it also tends to reflect society, and with that, social inequities as well.
“What drives me in my research is that science and technology are increasingly ubiquitous in our lives,” she says, adding that from vaccines to smartphones, we’re dealing with technology and innovation in all aspects of our lives.
“In thinking about how we can make sure that science and technology are equitable and just, it’s an avenue through which I can help to contribute to questions of equity and justice. But I think it’s really important in the area of science and technology, just because we tend to think that it’s objective and outside of society, that makes it even more consequential, because those kinds of dimensions don’t get challenged or don’t get questioned,” Parthasarathy says.
You can listen to the full episode here.
You can read her story here.
