Feminism vs testing

My slides are / will be available for you at:
Software QA Specialist at Finbiosoft Oy
@EevaPursula
Eeva Pursula
How concepts of feminism make me a
better tester
https://www.slideshare.net/EevaPursula/feminism-vs-testing
eeva.pursula@finbiosoft.com https://tinyurl.com/eeva-in-youtube
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Things we’ll be dealing with
@EevaPursula
how feminist mindset supports the
testers mindset
feminist view to the
testers role
how feminist concepts help
teams
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Photo modified, original by maxpixel.net
Feminists & testers?
@EevaPursula
One thing in common with feminists and testers is the image as naggers and whiners.
With feminism, many people find most of the already achieved improvements as a good
thing, but new suggestions as being too radical.
In testing, the significance of our findings or our need to do more testing is sometimes
questioned, as so much has already been done.
Both sometimes get angry for seeing the problems but not having power to fix them.
Original photo https://www.maxpixel.net/Animal-World-Tiger-Males-White-Bengal-
Tiger-Nature-3106213
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Photo modified, original by MemoryCatcher on pixabay.com
curiosity
suspicion
courage
to ask
Notice and question assumptions
@EevaPursula
Seeing things from a wider perspective. Noticing assumptions / things taken for granted
and questioning them, including conventions and priorities and frameworks of our
thinking.
Example from feminism: https://hbr.org/2018/07/why-women-volunteer-for-tasks-that-
dont-lead-to-promotions?
Example from testing: things that work from technical point of view sometimes do
wrong things from user perspective or cannot be used e.g. because they cannot be
found.
Even if we try to think about an issue from all possible perspectives, some blind spots
easily remain. We should always be skeptical about whether all real workflows have
really been thought through, and whether everything is done that needs to be done. If
something seems trivial or avoided it’s probably good to look at it more thoroughly.
When we encounter situations, where we see risks or are confused over what has been
done, we have to say it out loud, even if we are not sure whether there really is a
problem or not.
Original photo https://pixabay.com/en/children-exploring-looking-kids-2088382/
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Make pain visible
Photo modified, original by pixnio.com
fixing things starts
by seeing &
understanding
the problem
@EevaPursula
Shared pain can be turned into change. We can only fix things if we see them and
understand them.
Examples from feminism: #MeToo campaign changes the way we see sexual harassment,
and many human right campaigns rely on showing the painful consequences of different
forms of oppression.
Example from testing: A tester needs to find open questions that have been forgotten or
given up with by others. Pointing out things that are difficult or impossible to test is
needed in order to create plans how to make testing better and make product risks
visible. A tester does not need to find all problems themselves, sometimes it’s more
effective to find ways to get developers speak about things they have felt difficult to
bring up.
Original photo https://pixnio.com/people/female-women/people-woman-pain-sadness-
hand
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Break illusions
Photo modified, original by PhotoAtelier on flickr.com
to enable
deliberate
choices
@EevaPursula
Example from feminism: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/powerful-art-exhibit-
powerfully-answers-the-question-what-were-you-
wearing_us_59baddd2e4b02da0e1405d2a
Example from testing: Are e.g. user rights used consistently throughout the product?
Original photo https://www.flickr.com/photos/glenbledsoe/5031859445
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Photo modified, original by pxhere.com
Make “corner cases”
visible
give a voice for
the neglected
@EevaPursula
Intersectional feminism promotes rights of people who are marginalized in multiple
ways and have therefore not been seen to exist in the society
A tester may need to find stories to justify fixing things that are seen as corner cases, to
show that real users may end up in problems due to these bugs.
Original photo https://pxhere.com/fi/photo/868539
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Check your privilege
be aware of your
assumptions
@EevaPursula
Privilege means things you don’t have to deal with, things you don’t need to see nor
understand. It’s easy to see the ways in which other people are more privileged. We
should actively learn to see how we are privileged ourselves, and question the
assumptions we make about the privileges of others.
Testing: accessibility, using realistic user roles, remembering what kind of devices etc.
real users have
Original photo https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1087476
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Photo modified, original by maxpixel.net @EevaPursula
How do you use your power?
what is your
role?
How do others see you when you use the power that you have at work?
How do you treat people whose work load you affect?
Do they think that you are sharing same goals with them, helping them in achieving the
goals?
Original photo https://www.maxpixel.net/Peruvians-Packed-Donkey-Last-Beast-Of-
Burden-43244
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Build collaboration
leadership is about making people want to follow you
@EevaPursula
What things I can change?
Who do I have to convince in things where I do not have the power to decide?
What information is needed to make them see things from my perspective, and the
significance of the things I see?
How to deliver the message so that it will be received?
How can a tester help developers do their work better?
Original photo https://www.maxpixel.net/Sea-Sky-Orange-Light-Lighthouse-Sunset-
Ocean-Boat-3121435
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Cherish diversity
new ideas only emerge in
environments where
conflicting thoughts get to
encounter
@EevaPursula
Disagreement does not mean that someone would have to win an argument. It’s
beneficial to learn why does the other think the way they think. We can still have mutual
goals and respect for one another. New ideas only emerge in environments where
conflicting thoughts get to encounter.
Diversity does not come by itself. We have to actively work on it, realizing that some of
the obstacles are invisible for the privileged.
A cultural feminist approach towards managing diversity in top management teams:
https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/02610150810882288
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Trio grows into quintetto
@EevaPursula
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Whose ideas get
attention?
@EevaPursula
If you vote for the issues to be discussed, you easily end up discussing the issues of the
majority. New views from new people don’t get attention easily.
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Amplify small voices
actively
find ways
to promote
minority thoughts
@EevaPursula
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/09/13/white-house-
women-are-now-in-the-room-where-it-happens/?utm_term=.04093738b462
If you recognize that some voices are not heard, you can amplify them by giving some of
your own space for them e.g. by repeating their message giving credits to them when
their ideas are ignored
People may need encouraging to spread their wings due to the expectations they have
for their own roles from previous jobs, gender stereotypes etc.
Teams may need to work on their stereotypical views e.g. to learn to take feedback from
a woman
Original photo https://www.maxpixel.net/Father-Kid-People-Son-Dad-Two-Love-
Outdoors-3315817
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Photo modified, original by Eye for Ebony on Unsplash
Safety needed for
questioning
learning
asking
failing
@EevaPursula
Change causes fear, e.g. change from waterfall to agile may cause change resistance as
people in waterfall roles do not know how to find their roles in agile.
Lack of safety blocks learning. We need safety to be able to do things that may fail, or to
say out loud that we do not have all the answers that are needed. And we need a sense
of being listened to, to share our most precious thoughts. If we don’t feel safe, problems
make us focus in covering up instead of speaking openly about the problems to get them
solved.
Original photo https://unsplash.com/photos/zQQ6Y5_RtHE
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Are we all really welcome here?
@EevaPursula
https://www.cio.com/article/3229355/it-industry/why-are-women-leaving-technology-
jobs.html
It’s quite easy to measure ratio of women in technology, but similar problems are most
probably also encountered by other groups our statistic tools do not reveal.
Notice the features of your culture that set different expectations for people from
different groups (e.g. are women listened to, are they assumed to take an assistant role,
are they seen as experts) or might make it difficult for someone to feel included. You
don’t need to solve the problems of others but you can support them in finding and
introducing solutions themselves.
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Listen to understand
don’t give space for
defining “the others”
@EevaPursula
The problem with many normal conversation environments is that there is sort of a
pecking order that allows the privileged to hijack every conversation and start explaining
what the underprivileged actually think and why they think so, and how they should be
thinking instead. Or what kind of problems they have and how they should be solved.
We should learn to concentrate more on listening than on giving our own
interpretations. Asking questions more than giving answers. Let people tell themselves
what they need.
But we should notice when the discussion is about defining “the others” and try to make
it clear that it’s generally not ok. Some people seem to think that drawing lines
between “us” and “them” brings “us” closer to each other. But we can never be
sure that discriminating language would not hurt anyone who we consider to be “one of
us”. You probably don't know if the person next to you is gay or has colored children.
And even if you do, if our culture encourages discriminating language, it makes it more
difficult for people to stand out by expressing new thoughts or asking questions.
Original photo https://www.maxpixel.net/Park-Break-Ben-Listen-2153991
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Photo modified, original by maxpixel.net @EevaPursula
choose your
words wisely
Watch out for triggers
Words contain assumptions we are not always aware of, and choice of words defines
what conclusions we are able to make.
Sometimes people have personal reasons to be really upset and irritated by certain
words. Avoiding using these words is the only way to be able to discuss in a way that
enables everyone to express themselves clearly and be responsive to understand other
views. Most things can be discussed using different kind of expressions.
Sometimes it’s not just words, but certain subjects are too triggering for someone. Then
you have to listen with empathy and show true understanding before you can contribute
to a fruitful conversation.
Original photo https://www.maxpixel.net/Button-Nuclear-War-Red-Trigger-Finger-Press-
War-3038098
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Admit failures and apologize
never
undermine
feelings
show
empathy
@EevaPursula
Apologize when you accidentally hurt someone.
Show empathy and never undermine another person’s feelings.
Learn from your mistakes instead of just trying to justify them.
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Photo modified, original by Pablo Heimplatz on Unsplash
Break limits forced from outside
@EevaPursula
As we seek for new understanding and try new things, we often fail, but we don’t
necessarily know that we are failing. And when we are unsecure and find a piece of
authoritative truth to hold on to, it’s very tempting to build on it instead of questioning
it, and that way harmful misunderstandings can become cornerstones in the foundations
of the systems we are building. Feminism fights for a world where the impression of an
outsider does not define who we are.
Original photo https://unsplash.com/photos/f3H7honxsXI
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Photo by Eneko Uruñuela on Unsplash
Define your own role
future
required skillset
of a tester may be
met through collaboration
@EevaPursula
There are various roles for a tester, and it’s up to you to create your own. You are the
only one who can define who you are and what you want to become. We are not getting
useless. Our tasks will become more complex, and with that it will be more and more
important to understand your limitations and what kind of people you need around so
that together you can conquer the quests.
Original photo https://unsplash.com/photos/I2YSmEUAgDY
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Things for a tester to learn from feminism
amplify small voicesbreak illusions
check your privilegemake pain visible
notice and question assumptions
pay attention to safety
don’t undermine others experience
listen and try to understand
don’t trigger people
define your own role
@EevaPursula
Feminism is not supposed to be easy or consistent, it’s supposed to be thought
provoking. It’s not supposed to be nice, but making pain visible and sharing it.
To learn feminism, you need to hear diverse voices, not just upper/middle class white
women.
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