tags:: #feminism #Bell-Telephone-Company #telephone-operators #historic-developments #power
Carmi, E. (2015). Taming Noisy Women. Media History, 21(3), 313–327. https://doi.org/10.1080/13688804.2015.1045468
In this research article, Carmi highlights the power dynamic between Alexander Graham Bell and his female telephone operators, depicting the exploitation and abuse faced for the sake of creating a ‘human computer’. The author begins by explaining the tasks perfomed by the operators, mentioning that they are the replacements of young boys whose lackluster services created frequent noise. Because of the less-than-ideal starting point for operators, Bell attempts to completely eradicate ‘bad’ behavior from female operators, created a Foucault-inspired training program that policed everything from their tone to their diets. A common theme commonly noted by the author is the frequent policing of female bodies compared to their male counterparts. Bell insisted that his workers take on a highly unrealistic standard of service, essentially becoming a pseudo-Internet. Because of this, many operators developped various physical and mental ailments, which were then ignored by Bell in favor of continuing ‘silence’. Although these events took place many decades in the past, Carmi hints that the lack of female autonomy is a motif seen in present-day events, and this cycle will continue until the power dynamic is shifted.