A Space for Equity
Geneva, NY
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Geneva, NY
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Today, women currently make up 19 percent of licensed architects in the United States, experience lower levels of pay at all levels, and report lower levels of professional or job satisfaction. Initially an exploration into gender inequality within the profession of architecture, the aim of this thesis has broadened to consider the effects of political and economic systems that reinforce, perpetuate, or reflect patriarchal norms and horizontal and vertical occupational segregation. This thesis utilized historical inquiry, statistical data and psychological and economic literature to explore the implication of male-dominated environments on both professional and academic settings.
In this research process, the nature of competition among women in male-dominated environments, and the socially constructed behaviors used to manage such competition, is explored for how they help to further gender inequity. Drawing upon histories of woman-based or feminist art practice and site-based public art, the project employed participatory methods of spatial production, feminist social practice and community development. The project culminated in a site-specific installation on the campus of Hobart and William Smith Colleges using knitting as a form of activism combined with personal comments by participants. This work ultimately sought to challenge existing political and economic systems that reinforce and perpetuate gender inequality.
The temporary installation transformed an object in space into a social space to promote and make visible the marginaized narratives of William Smith women. The process of this design was as significant as the final product. The construction of the space was a collaborative effort, engaging with the community of Hobart and William Smith Colleges.