Division of Household Chores and Smart Technologie
The introduction of smart systems into homes raises questions about their impact on the balance of household labour in heterosexual couples. Research indicates that managing smart technologies, known as digital housekeeping, remains primarily the responsibility of men in heteronormative relationships. While the literature on the subject interprets this practice as a form of care, the SMARTUP team's research critically examines this notion.
The Gender of Smart Technology
One of the key issues raised in the podcast is the gendering of home technology by its manufacturers. With reference to the publication The Smart Wife (MIT Press), there is a discussion about how smart systems mimic the roles of traditional housewives from the 1950s and how their anthropomorphisation influences gender perceptions and perpetuates stereotypes.
Smart Technologies and the Relations of Power and Supervision
The use of smart technology to monitor and control household members is another important area. Research indicates that men are primarily responsible for managing energy monitoring applications, which in some cases leads to practices known as "policing" – surveillance of partners and children and their energy consumption. Furthermore, the issue of using monitoring systems for surveillance purposes and its implications for privacy in the home is considered.
Surveillance capitalism and data collection
With the increasing digitisation of the home, the question arises of who has access to the data aggregated by smart devices. This podcast examines issues related to the so-called surveillance capitalism described by Shoshana Zuboff, including the role of technology corporations in collecting and exploiting information about users of smart home systems.
Humanoid Robots in the Home Space
The final part of the conversation explores the future of home robotics, using Tesla's humanoid robot as an example. The discussion explores the potential impact of automation on daily life and social interactions.
The podcast is a part of a broader scientific debate on the social and cultural implications of smart home technology. SMARTUP research was funded by the National Science Centre in Poland under the CHANSE programme, under grant no. 2021/03/Y/HS6/00250. The Polish team is led by Professor Dorota Golańska.
We encourage you to listen and explore the topic. More information about the SMARTUP project can be found on the project website
Dr Sandra Frydrysiak (she/her) is a holder of A PhD in Cultural Studies, a sociologist, and a gender studies expert. She is currently conducting research on the social impact of smart homes as part of the international SMARTUP (CHANSE) project. She works at SWPS University in Warsaw and the University of Lodz. She conducts training and consultations on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Prof. Dorota Golańska is a Professor at the Department of Cultural Studies, Faculty of Philology, University of Lodz, and Vice-Rector for Science at the University of Lodz. Her research focuses, among other things, on new materialism in cultural memory studies. She has held numerous research fellowships, among other things, at Columbia University in New York, the University of New South Wales in Sydney, and Utrecht University.
Edit: Małgorzata Jasińska and Michał Gruda (Centre for External Relations and Social Responsibility of the University, University of Lodz)
