Exploring and Materialising Bodily Experiences of Security through Lenses of Feminist HCI practices

Abstract

In public spaces, such as urban areas and public transportation, people may experience feelings of insecurity, for example, regarding lack of security and fear of possible criminal intentions from others, which can lead to physical discomfort and (feelings of) unease. Starting from these challenges, we propose a one-day workshop aimed to explore bodily experiences of security. Together with the workshop participants, we will approach this research space from a feminist perspective, engaging with feminist issues, such as participation, advocacy, pluralism, and embodiment. Through innovative body-centered methods, we will foreground and explore individual and collective sensations of security, and materialize participants' felt experiences and insights in the form of wearable prototypes. Through this workshop, we will reflect on individual and collective experiences of security through making, and elicit design implications for creating secure bodily experiences, which can be informative and inspirational for future research.