Das Geschlecht der Medien: Methodologische Überlegungen zu einer Medienwissenschaft

This analysis examines the methodological foundations of media studies, specifically critiquing how traditional media theory has historically relied on binary, gendered, and apocalyptic metaphors. The central thesis argues that media theory often functions as an anthropologically driven "truth discourse" that equates technology with masculinity and passivity with femininity. By framing media as either tools or autonomous actors, scholars like Marshall McLuhan and Vilém Flusser have inadvertently reproduced hierarchical gender metaphysics, where the "human" is defined by an active, masculine mastery over a passive, feminized technological apparatus.

The analysis highlights that this discourse frequently relies on metaphors—such as the body as a machine or the medium as a prosthesis—to bridge the gap between human perception and technical reality. These metaphors are not neutral; they reflect a modern, humanist anxiety regarding autonomy and agency. When media are perceived as threats to human self-determination, the resulting theoretical response often descends into apocalyptic scenarios or salvation fantasies, which fail to account for the actual, contingent ways media shape contemporary society.

To move beyond these limitations, the text proposes a gender-oriented media science that integrates insights from Gender Studies, feminist theory, and the work of Donna Haraway. This approach advocates for a "stereoscopic" view that acknowledges the mediality of both technical devices and the language used to describe them. Key methodological recommendations include the denaturalization of gender categories, the rejection of binary models of activity versus passivity, and the adoption of a "situated knowledge" framework. By emphasizing responsibility and vulnerability over traditional concepts of autonomy, this methodology seeks to foster a more nuanced understanding of how media constitute public spheres, ultimately aiming to enhance agency within a complex, technologically mediated world.