Article ID: CBB064681297

Female Curiosity towards Automobile Technology: Car Service Courses for Finnish Women in the 1970s (2010)

unapi

Motoring has been a very significant phenomenon in Finland. Simultaneously, the public debate on whether females should be drivers has been, to say at least, passionate. One of the themes in the debate dealt with whether women had sufficient knowledge about car technology and whether they mastered the basics of car maintenance. When women started to participate in special technical courses in the 1970s, they stepped into something that had traditionally been very masculine. By taking these voluntary courses, they sought to bridge the gap in technical expertise, which critics of women driving used to weaken their credibility as independent and equal motorists. This article argues that these courses, which were highly popular, can be seen as part of the process in which technology and gender have interacted in society. It analyzes the meaning of the courses by studying the contents, popularity, atmosphere and course participants. Source materials are diverse, including magazines, statistics, archival and oral material. As well, the topic is analysed from a gender perspective.

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Authors & Contributors
Bo Ruberg
Pedersen, Martin Bae
Hilck, Karin
Anne-Katrin Ebert
Hagman, Olle
Corneliussen, Hilde G.
Concepts
Technology and culture
Automobiles
Technology and gender
Women in technology
Technology
Design
Time Periods
20th century, late
21st century
20th century, early
20th century
19th century
Places
United States
Germany
Finland
Washington (state, U.S.)
London (England)
Netherlands
Institutions
Sports Car Club of America
United States. National Park Service
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