Birgit Hofstätter is an amalgam of researcher and activist, lecturer and learner, managing director of Frauenforum Salzkammergut, local politician and yoga guide in a small town community. They hold a teaching degree in English, Philosophy, Psychology and Pedagogics for high school, a master degree in Interdisciplinary Gender Studies and a PhD in Science, Technology and Society Studies.
A former researcher at IFZ – Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Technology, Work and Culture – they participated in numerous national and international projects cooperating with schools (e. g. Engineer Your Sound!, transFAIRmation, useITsmartly) and investigating educational programmes (e. g. FEMTEC Styria, GISAlab, HTL-Kolleg für Frauen, HELENA). A founding member of the working group (AG) Queer STS, they pursue the development of queer-feminist perspectives on Science, Technology and Society Studies with a particular interest on media.
Main fields of activities:
- intersectional, inclusive approaches and de-dramatising gender in education
- feminist and queer science and technology studies
- heteronormativity-critical media education
Short Curriculum
- since 2019 Managing Director of Frauenforum Salzkammergut
- since 2015 member of municipal council for the Green Party
- since 2012 freelance yoga guide
- 2010-2016 lecturer at Alpen-Adria Universität Klagenfurt
- 2015-2019 Managing Director of the International Academy Traunkirchen
- 2008-2015 researcher at IFZ – Inter-University Research Centre for Technology, Work and Culture
- 2014 AGPRO research award 2014, sponsored by IBM
- 2012 Franz Voves Innovation Prize
- 2010-2011 Yoga Teacher Training with Susanne Freiherz, yuna yoga, Graz
- 2010 Austrian Award for vocational education research of the Federal Ministry for Education, Art and Culture (together with Anita Thaler and Daniela Freitag)
- 2007-2011 Master degree Interdisciplinary Gender Studies at University of Graz
- 2006/07 teaching practice at Akademischen Gymnasium Graz
- 1998-2005 teaching degree in PPP (Psychology, Philosophy, Pedagogics) and English at University of Graz
Publications (for Queer STS publications click here)
Hofstätter, Birgit (2014). Video remix and political participation: A concept for critical media education. In: Thomas Berger & Günter Getzinger (Hrsg.). Proceedings of the STS Conference Graz 2014, 5-6 May 2014, Graz. Download available. ISSN: 2304-4233.
Hofstätter, Birgit (2012). How To Pull A Vampire‘s Tooth. Heterosexual norm in Stephenie Meyer’s “The Twilight Saga” and its pedagogical implications. Saarbrücken: AV Akademikerverlag. ISBN 9783639399486
Hofstätter, Birgit & Wöllmann, Torsten (2011). The Concept of ‘Heteronormativity’ and its Methodological Implications. In: Birgit Hofstätter & Günter Getzinger (Hrsg.). Proceedings of the 10th Annual IAS-STS Conference on Critical Issues in Science and Technology Studies, 2nd‑3rd May 2011 (CD-ROM). Graz: IFZ Eigenverlag. Download available. ISBN 978-3-9502678-4-6.
Hofstätter, Birgit; Gasteiger, Birgit; Deutschmeister, Sonja & Nather, Johanna (2011). Let’s play air piano! Participatory technology design using Nintendo® Wii technology. In: Arno Bammé, Günter Getzinger & Bernhard Wieser (Hrsg.). Yearbook 2010 of the Institute for Advanced Studies on Science, Technology and Society. München, Wien: Profil-Verlag. p. 41‑52.ISBN: 978-3-89019-659-6
