Anastassija Kostan, Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy; Christian Sperneac-Wolfer, Institute for Social Research Frankfurt am Main
Posted: February 28, 2022 Accepted Languages: English/Inglés/Inglês
The increasing spread of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) plays an important role in (re-)producing and/ or reinforcing already existing social inequalities (Goedhart et. al. 2019; van Deursen & Helsper 2015). There are huge differences not only in material access to ICT and internet connection (Gonzales 2016), but also considerable disparities of its usages. Unequally distributed information literacies (Dunn 2010) as well as data security and privacy practices result from non-inclusive ICT development, design, and technology policies (Baldini et. al. 2018).
However, electronic digital devices also facilitate important flows of communication and information that are not only necessary to participate online but are of no less importance for socio-material practices in the offline world. While on the one hand ICT usually do not always grant necessary data protection to everyone, on the other hand, it also proves to be useful for assembling new forms of open and hidden resistance “from below” (Scott 1990; Schaupp 2021).
This panel is open but especially seeks for contributions dealing with questions concerning the broad spectrum of digital inequalities. Ranging from the unequally distributed usage literacies of ICTs (re-)producing the vulnerability of groups that are already marginalized to its empowering potential enabling new resistance practices and various forms of technopolitical bottom-up organizations. We want to discuss what we need to design socially equal ICT and explore also its empowering aspects.
