Intro: Digital technologies and social inclusion (Research Frontiers)

Daniel Curto-Millet

19 Jun 202403:39

Summary

TLDRDaniel Killet, an assistant professor at the University of Gurg, explores the intricate relationship between technology, inclusion, and exclusion, particularly focusing on gender discrimination in digital technologies. The module delves into how technology has been leveraged by social movements to highlight societal issues while also perpetuating inequality. It aims to foster an understanding of the intersectional nature of exclusion and the ethical implications of digital transformation, providing insights into the history of gendered technology and strategies to mitigate exclusion.

Takeaways

😀 Daniel Killet is an assistant professor at the University of Gurg, focusing on how software is designed in online communities and the impact of inclusion issues on software development.
🌐 The module aims to explore the relationship between inclusion, exclusion, inequality, and computing and information systems, highlighting the strong connection between gender discrimination and digital technologies.
📢 Technology has been instrumental in movements like MeToo and Black Lives Matter, helping to bring gender inequality and racism to the forefront and mobilize political action globally.
🌍 Movements such as Occupy Wall Street, Indignados, Anonymous, and the Arab Spring have used technology to self-organize and make specific issues of inequality and exclusion visible on a global scale.
🚫 Despite their potential for emancipation, digital technologies often fail to deliver, perpetuating gender discrimination and reinforcing existing inequalities.
👩‍💻 Women content creators face underrepresentation and abuse on platforms like YouTube, which can make digital spaces unwelcoming and reproduce established forms of inequality.
🔍 The lecture will examine how digital technologies are related to inequality, using gender inequality as a primary example, but emphasizing that inequality is intersectional, involving a mix of gender, race, economic, and class issues.
🤔 The module encourages a critical examination of the simplistic understanding of the relationship between technology and inclusion, prompting questions about the ethical implications of digital transformation.
📚 The intended learning outcomes are to explain the relationship between technology and inclusion/exclusion, the consequences of exclusion, and ways to mitigate or address exclusion.
📈 The module is structured into three sections: the history and current state of gendered digital technology, the reasons technologists should care about equality, and strategies to mitigate exclusion.
🛠️ Technology and data are not objective or neutral; the kind of technology designed or adopted can have far-reaching consequences for society.

Q & A

Who is Daniel Killet and what is his role at the University of Gurg?
-Daniel Killet is an assistant professor at the University of Gurg. He researches how software is designed in online communities and is particularly interested in understanding the impact of inclusion issues on software development.
What is the main focus of the module discussed in the transcript?
-The module focuses on the relationship between inclusion, exclusion, and inequality in the context of computing and information systems. It aims to provide an introductory understanding of how gender discrimination and other forms of inequality are related to digital technologies.
How have social movements like Black Lives Matter used technology to address societal issues?
-Social movements like Black Lives Matter have extensively used technology to bring structural gender inequality and racism to the limelight, pushing for extensive discussions about social and societal problems and making these issues global.
What is the role of technology in the emergence and visibility of collectives that protest against inequality and exclusion?
-Technology has helped these collectives to self-organize and make specific issues of inequality and exclusion visible. It has enabled the movements to become global, connecting people across different geographical locations.
How does technology sometimes fail to deliver on its emancipatory potential?
-Despite efforts to increase equality in access and use, technology often perpetuates gender discrimination and can reinforce existing inequalities, such as underrepresentation of women content creators on platforms like YouTube and online abuse.
What is the term used to describe the complex mix of gender, race, economic, and class issues in the context of exclusion and inequality?
-The term used is 'intersectionality,' which highlights that exclusion and inequality are not isolated issues but a mix of various social factors.
What are the intended learning outcomes of the module on technology and inclusion?
-The intended learning outcomes are to explain how technology and inclusion or exclusion are related, to explain the consequences of exclusion, and to understand two ways to mitigate or address exclusion.
How is the module structured in terms of content?
-The module is structured in three sections: the first section discusses the gendered history and current state of digital technology and computing; the second section talks about why technologists should care about equality; and the third section explores strategies to mitigate exclusion.
Why should technologists care about equality in the context of technology and data?
-Technologists should care about equality because technology and data are not objective or neutral. The kind of technology they design or adopt can have far-reaching consequences for society, including fellow citizens, colleagues, friends, and employees.
What ethical perspective does the module encourage students to adopt when considering digital transformation?
-The module encourages students to question and understand digital transformation from an ethical perspective, specifically considering what kind of society digitalization should create.
What are two strategies mentioned in the module to mitigate exclusion in the context of technology and society?
-The module does not specify the two strategies in the provided transcript. However, it suggests that understanding the relationship between technology and inclusion, as well as the consequences of exclusion, will lead to strategies for mitigation.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Introduction to Inclusion and Technology

Daniel Killet, an assistant professor at the University of Gurg, introduces the module on the relationship between inclusion, exclusion, and inequality in computing and information systems. He discusses his research on software design in online communities and the impact of inclusion issues on software development. The module aims to provide an understanding of how gender discrimination and inequality are intertwined with digital technologies. It also touches on the role of technology in social movements like Black Lives Matter and the Me Too movement, which have used digital platforms to highlight structural inequalities and push for societal change.

🌐 The Role of Technology in Social Movements

This section delves into how technology has been instrumental in mobilizing social movements and making global issues out of local concerns. It mentions specific movements like Occupy Wall Street, Indignados, Anonymous, and the Arab Spring, illustrating how digital platforms have facilitated the organization and visibility of these movements. The script also addresses the double-edged nature of technology, which, while promoting equality and inclusion, can also perpetuate gender discrimination and inequality, as evidenced by the underrepresentation and online abuse of women content creators.

🔧 Addressing Digital Inequality and Gender Discrimination

The script emphasizes the importance of understanding the intersectionality of exclusion and inequality, which involves a mix of gender, race, economic, and class issues. It outlines the module's learning outcomes, which include explaining the relationship between technology and exclusion/inclusion, understanding the consequences of exclusion, and learning ways to mitigate or address it. The module is structured into three sections: the history and current state of gendered digital technology, the reasons technologists should care about equality, and strategies to mitigate exclusion.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Inclusion

Inclusion refers to the act of involving or incorporating different groups of people in various aspects of society, such as decision-making, social activities, or the workplace. In the context of the video, inclusion is a central theme that highlights the importance of ensuring that diverse voices and perspectives are represented, especially in the development and use of digital technologies. The script mentions how movements like Black Lives Matter and MeToo have used technology to bring attention to gender inequality and racism, illustrating the role of inclusion in social movements.

💡Exclusion

Exclusion is the opposite of inclusion, involving the deliberate or unintentional omission of certain groups from opportunities or participation. The video discusses how digital technologies can sometimes fail to be inclusive, leading to the exclusion of certain demographics, such as women content creators on platforms like YouTube, who may face underrepresentation and online abuse, thus making digital spaces less welcoming.

💡Inequality

Inequality refers to the unequal distribution of resources, opportunities, or privileges among different groups in society. The video script emphasizes the relationship between technology and inequality, particularly gender discrimination in digital technologies. It points out that despite efforts to increase equality, access and equal use remain a concern, with technology sometimes perpetuating existing inequalities.

💡Gender Discrimination

Gender discrimination is the unfair treatment of individuals based on their gender. In the script, gender discrimination is highlighted as a significant issue within the realm of digital technologies, where women may face challenges such as underrepresentation and abuse online, which are forms of gender-based inequality in the digital space.

💡Digital Technologies

Digital technologies encompass the various tools, platforms, and systems that are based on digital electronics or computer systems. The video script discusses how digital technologies have been instrumental in both highlighting societal issues, such as through social movements, and in creating new forms of inequality and exclusion, such as the underrepresentation of women on digital platforms.

💡Social Movements

Social movements are organized efforts by groups of people to bring about social, political, or economic change. The script mentions several social movements, such as Occupy Wall Street, Indignados, and the Arab Spring, which have used digital technologies to mobilize and make visible specific issues of inequality and exclusion.

💡Intersectionality

Intersectionality is a concept that describes how various forms of social stratification, such as race, class, and gender, interact and overlap to create complex systems of discrimination or disadvantage. The video script explains that inequality is intersectional, meaning that exclusion and inequality are not just about gender but also involve a mix of other social factors.

💡Ethical Perspective

An ethical perspective involves considering the moral implications of actions or decisions. In the context of the video, adopting an ethical perspective on digital transformation means questioning the kind of society digitalization should create and understanding the far-reaching consequences of the technology we design or adopt.

💡Digital Transformation

Digital transformation refers to the integration of digital technology into all areas of human society, fundamentally changing how individuals and organizations operate and deliver value. The script encourages viewers to question the relationship between technology and inclusion from an ethical standpoint, implying that digital transformation should be inclusive and equitable.

💡Mitigation

Mitigation refers to the act of making a negative situation less severe or intense. In the video script, mitigation is discussed in the context of finding ways to address or reduce exclusion in digital technologies, suggesting strategies to make digital spaces more inclusive and equitable.

💡Technologist

A technologist is someone who is skilled in or devoted to technology, often involved in the design, development, or application of technological solutions. The video script emphasizes the importance of technologists caring about equality, as the technology they design or adopt can have significant consequences for society, including perpetuating or mitigating inequalities.

Highlights

Daniel Killet is an assistant professor at the University of Gurg, researching software design in online communities.

Recent interest in understanding the impact of inclusion issues on software development.

Introduction to the module on the relationship between inclusion, exclusion, and inequality in computing and information systems.

Technology's role in highlighting structural gender inequality and racism through movements like MeToo and Black Lives Matter.

The ongoing trend of political mobilization through technology, including Occupy Wall Street, Indignados, Anonymous, and the Arab Spring.

Digital technologies' potential to create inequality and exclusion, despite their emancipatory promises.

Concerns over gender discrimination in access and use of digital technologies, with women facing underrepresentation and online abuse.

The module's aim to explore the strong relationship between digital technologies and inequality, using gender inequality as an example.

Understanding that inequality is intersectional, involving a mix of gender, race, economic, and class issues.

The module's goal to encourage questioning the simplistic understanding of technology's relationship with inclusion.

The ethical perspective of digital transformation and the kind of society it should create.

Intended learning outcomes include explaining the relationship between technology and inclusion/exclusion, the consequences of exclusion, and ways to mitigate it.

The module is structured into three sections: history and current state of digital technology, reasons for technologists to care about equality, and strategies to mitigate exclusion.

The field of computing was founded on inequality, with a gendered history.

Technologists should care about equality because technology and data are not neutral and have far-reaching societal consequences.

Two strategies to mitigate exclusion will be discussed in the module.