Gender & Technology – Historical Utopias
How have people in the past imagined that a utopian future might work – and what might be problematic in those visions? Join historian David Tjeder for an inspiring evening exploring historical utopias, their assumptions and contradictions, and the power of fiction to disrupt established ideas and power dynamics. A sandwich and tea or coffee will be served.
Time: Mon 2026-11-16 17.00 - 19.00
Location: KTH Campus room TBA
Language: English and Swedish
Participating: David Tjeder, Historian
About the talk
Imagining a different future is nothing new. Throughout history, writers and thinkers have created visions of utopian worlds – societies in which life is organised differently and familiar problems have seemingly been solved. But how have people imagined that these future worlds would function? And what might be problematic in those visions?
David Tjeder is an historian with a focus on gender and power and works as an admissions officer at KTH. In this talk, he will explore historical imaginings of utopian futures and some of the assumptions and contradictions they contain.
But not all will be gloom and doom. Fiction also has the power to disrupt, displace and unsettle established ideas and power dynamics. The stories we tell about possible futures can help us question the present – and how we imagine our future can also help shape it.
Looking for inspiration for your story?
This talk is part of a series of activities connected to InspireLab’s short story competition on technology and gender equality . You are welcome to join whether or not you plan to enter the competition.
A warm welcome!
