Since February 2019, the Kigali-based start-up Digital Umuganda has been coordinating the crowdsourcing of the first openly available voice dataset for Rwanda’s official language Kinyarwanda. This process originated from a pilot project of the Open Resources Incubator (ORI), an emergent service designed by GIZ staff and the author as consultant. ORI aims to facilitate the collective provision of open content, thereby affording previously inaccessible opportunities for local innovation and value creation. It promotes the community-based stewardship of open resources by (inter-)national actors who share responsibilities for their production, distribution and use. ORI’s pilot project cooperates with Mozilla’s team behind Common Voice, a platform to crowdsource open voice data, and has attracted Rwandan public and private actors’ interest in voice technology to improve their products and services.Informed by research on ICTs, datafication and big data in development discourses, and using the ICT4D approach ‘open development’ as its analytical lens, this thesis examines inherent conceptual aspects and socio-technical dynamics of the ORI pilot project. An in-depth analysis of qualitative data gathered through participant observation, interviews and focus groups explores assumed developmental benefits which international and Rwandan actors involved in the project associate with open voice data, power relations manifesting between these actors as well as underlying development paradigms.The analysis shows how the project established a global-local datafication infrastructure sourcing voice data from Rwandan volunteers via technically, legally and socially formalised mechanisms. By placing the dataset in the public domain, the decision as to how it will be used is left to the discretion of intermediaries such as data scientists, IT developers and funders. This arrangement calls into question the basic assumption that the open Kinya-rwanda dataset will yield social impact because its open access is insufficient to direct its usage towards socially beneficial, rather than solely profit-oriented, purposes. In view of this, the thesis proposes the joint negotiation of a ‘stewardship agreement’ to define how value created from the open voice data will benefit its community and Rwanda at large.

This thesis investigates the relation between human and smartwatch by exploring the experiences of four Swedish long-distance runners who use digital technology to self-track their running activities. By examining the participating runners’ use of their smartwatches and smartwatch data as postphenomenological human-technology relations (Ihde, 1990), this thesis offers a perspective on the use of wearable self-tracking technology as augmenting human experience through digital data. The empirical material was gathered through semi-structured interviews with the participating runners. In the analysis of the material, a computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software is used to transcribe and code the material following a concept-driven approach influenced by Ritchie and Lewis’ Thematic Framework Method (2003). The coded transcripts are summarized in thematic charts based on postphenomenological human-technology relations developed by Ihde (1990) and Verbeek (2008) along with an understanding of data influenced by the field of critical data studies and adjacent work (e.g. Iliadis & Russo, 2016; Kitchin, 2014; van Dijck, 2014; Edmond et al., 2022). The runner-smartwatch relations that are analyzed in this thesis showcase how the digital data produced in self-tracking practices become part of the self-tracker’s experiences by being incorporated in a runner-data assemblage. Viewing the runner-smartwatch relation as a type of augmentation relation (Verbeek, 2008), this thesis further suggests that the digital data function as an augmenting layer through which the running activity is experienced.

The smart city is not a new concept. For centuries urbanists have sought to rationalize city making and explore more efficient means to operate cities. Meanwhile, the exponential utilization of information and communication technologies (ICT) have opened up for a new wave of ‘smart’ development that is rapidly sweeping across the globe contributing to a previously unseen ‘datafication’ of cities. The concept of smart cities is often met by staunch criticism due to, among other things, the influence from corporate actors. Smart cities have also been criticized for not adequately addressing issues related to sustainable development. Despite this recent upswing of smart initiatives and plans, there is still a significant gap in our understanding of what this looks like in situ. While spectacular cases (Songdo, South Korea; Masdar City, UAE, among others) of smart cities have been dissected and covered extensively over the last few years, more ordinary examples of already existing cities transitioning into smart cities are still largely unexplored. Against the backdrop of both the high appraisal and vast criticism of smart cities, a growing literature have recently called for a more nuanced approach, advocating for a focus on the ‘actually existing smart city’ and how smart cities unfold in specific contexts. This study examines the situatedness of smart cities in the Australian context through a grounded theory lens, looking specifically at how the ‘datafication’ plays out and how it influences the realization of the sustainable city. Taking an inductive approach, this study applies semi-structured interviews with key smart cities stakeholders in Australia and participant observations to identify key themes in the smart city sphere in relation to sustainability and data. The findings highlight that smart city initiatives do not necessarily fit into preconceived ideas about smart cities. Secondly, while data is seen almost universally as a valuable source of information to better understand and manage cities, it is not clear that it influences sustainable development. In addition, competing opinions on open data also suggest that this is a fairly contested topic in Australia, which should encourage further investigation of its intended contributions to a more sustainable form of urban development. This study adds to a relatively scarce number of qualitative studies of smart cities in general, and of smart cities in the Australian context in particular.

In the global West, electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets have become ubiquitous tools for daily life. They facilitate communication, navigation, and commerce, among other online activities that generate unprecedented amounts of user data. This licentiate thesis examines the perspectives of scholars employing feminist approaches towards understanding and conceptualizing emergent technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, machine learning, and algorithms, which utilize data as a representation of realities and lived experiences. Grounding their perspectives in the feminist tradition of critiquing power structures and hegemonies, scholars offer valuable insights into envisioning technologically supported futurities that transcend mere inclusion and instead prioritize diversity. This text examines how scholars with feminist approaches understand the datafied present and envision futurities. This thesis also explores how potential risks and benefits of datafication, the translation of action into data, are expressed in data feminist texts.  In the first article, Feminist Data Studies and the Emergence of a New Data Feminist Knowledge Domain, a series of searches were conducted in databases and search engines, followed by citation chaining to collect relevant scholarly texts. Data collection was followed by visualization and close reading, while employing sociotechnical imaginaries as a conceptual lens. This approach facilitated an exploration of how scholars with feminist perspectives envision, interpret, and reimagine data-driven technologies. The second article, Utopian and Dystopian Sociotechnical Imaginaries of Big Data in a portion of the corpus, compared framings and perceptions of big data to those identified in the policies of the European Commission.  The summary essay underscores several key findings. Firstly, the nuanced implications of visibility and representation in the context of datafication. Particularly, the tension and the contrasting imperatives, to amplify the visibility of marginalized groups and to safeguard their privacy and mitigate potential harm. Secondly, the centrality of power dynamics and minority group vulnerability in discussions surrounding control over data flows. Finally, corrective approaches and feminist refusal were found to be the ways in which scholars are attempting to contribute to shaping more equitable and inclusive technological futures. These findings contribute to making visible the hegemonies and power imbalances in datafied systems from the perspectives of scholars with feminist approaches as well as to understanding how they are pushing back against them.

Submitted by Clebson Anjos (clebson.leandro54@gmail.com) on 2016-02-18T18:09:26Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 1029536 bytes, checksum: c6402b495142035de9a42bf1bf610cc9 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-02-18T18:09:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 1029536 bytes, checksum: c6402b495142035de9a42bf1bf610cc9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-05-29 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The interaction between society and technology in the context of mediated ambience, enhanced by processes and tools such as Big Data and Internet of Things are the basis of scientific advances that are gradually transforming our daily lives. With the Big Data phenomenon we are able to capture a massive quantity of data, creating endless possibilities of connections and control. The Internet of Things, in turn, is related to embedded devices networks that communicate with each other in an automated way to help make our lives more efficient and more vulnerable too. In the era of pervasive computing and datafication, any attempt to safeguard our data seems insufficient. So, this study presents a reflection on the existing oppositeness between the ideas of freedom as an essential attribute for online information sharing and the sovereignty imposed by the data control, besides we also examine the implications of this surveillance on the user autonomy. To understand the links between the mediations, the network and the members of this interconnected system, we adopted the Actor-Network Theory (LATOUR, 2012). This theory of social also inserts itself as the methodology, laying the foundations for guiding this study. Another important point is to understand the conceptual differences between surveillance, control and monitoring (LEMOS, 2009). The work, divided into two parts and their respective chapters, also includes the analysis of some attempts of resistance to this control imposed on members of the interconnected public sphere, and it points out the paradoxes concerning, particularly, to anonymity, one of the main forms of opposition to the monitoring state established in the net. Since we are in the middle of a still in progress process, accurate and airtight conclusions are not possible. However, if we are not able to set limits to the new digital society, then we run a risk of seeing vital rights, essential to the proper functioning of society, wrecked in the name of innovation and convenience. / A interação entre sociedade e tecnologia presente no contexto da midiatização, potencializada por processos e ferramentas como o Big Data e a Internet das Coisas são a base de avanços científicos que vêm, paulatinamente, transformando o nosso cotidiano. Com o fenômeno do Big Data capta-se uma torrente de dados, gerando infinitas possibilidades de conexões e controle. A Internet das Coisas, por sua vez, está relacionada às redes de dispositivos embarcados que se comunicam uns com os outros de forma automatizada para ajudar a tornar nossas vidas mais eficientes, porém mais vulneráveis. Na era da computação pervasiva e da dataficação, qualquer tentativa de salvaguardar nossos dados parece insuficiente. Assim, este estudo traz uma reflexão sobre o oposicionismo entre as ideias de liberdade como atributo essencial para o compartilhamento de informações online e a soberania conquistada através do controle dos dados, além de examinar as implicações da vigilância sobre a autonomia do usuário. Para compreender os vínculos entre as mediações, a rede e os integrantes desse sistema interconectado, adotamos a Teoria Ator-Rede (LATOUR, 2012). Essa teoria do social insere-se também como metodologia, lançando os princípios norteadores para elaboração da pesquisa. Outro ponto relevante é a compreensão das diferenças conceituais entre as ações de vigilância, controle e monitoramento (LEMOS, 2009). O trabalho, dividido em duas partes e seus respectivos capítulos, conta ainda com a análise de algumas tentativas de resistência ao controle imposto aos integrantes da esfera pública interconectada, e com apontamentos às antinomias referentes, em específico, ao anonimato, uma das principais formas de oposição ao monitoramento instaurado na rede. Por estarmos diante de um processo em franco desenvolvimento, conclusões exatas e certeiras não são possíveis. Todavia, se não formos, desde já, capazes de estabelecer limites para essa nova sociedade digital, então correremos o risco de vermos naufragar direitos vitais para o bom funcionamento da sociedade em prol da inovação e da conveniência.

This study aims to explore how the Danish grassroots movement #hvorerderenvoksen is shaped through the usage of Facebook as their primary communication tool. Using the embedded case study method, this thesis describes in detail how and why the movement arose and explains the role of Facebook’s features, primarily groups and sites, for the movements external communication. As such, it will become clear that using Facebook is not merely a means to an end. Being an activist on Facebook means using and being used, it entails the acceleration of mobilisation, but also disciplining activist action in accordance with Facebook’s terms and conditions. This thesis will draw upon modern communication theories such as mediatization and network media logic and analyse #hvorerderenvoksen as a digital social phenomenon. As will become clear, digitalisation and even more so datafication processes play a role when critically examining contemporary activism. To sum up, this thesis aims to show how an activist movement is mediatized and strongly emphasizes the role of digitalization and media hybridity in this process. It suggests that future research will focus more on the influence datafication, and especially the collection of human data and its untransparent processing, has on mediatized activism.

No description available.

This thesis investigates reactions of young people in Malmö-Sweden about the proposed Facebook Metaverse. Gauging young people’s association/reactions about Facebook Metaverse before its practical existence is the study's main focus. The thesis assesses Web 2.0 as a pivotal mark that enabled development of social networks and virtual worlds like Facebook Metaverse. Through qualitative interviews and semiotic analysis in data collection, three main themes became noted as both theoretical perspectives and findings of the study that entails the young people's opinions on the soon to be launched Facebook Metaverse. The 3 themes are; Connectivity & interactivity, Anonymity and identity, and Datafication, privacy & commercialisation. The results highlight pros and cons with the Facebook metaverse that encompasses risks of intrusive data collection, possibilities for self-empowerment through avatars and new ways of communicating. The thesis concludes with a created artifact/altered video that presents a critical aspect of Mark Zuckerberg’s version of the Facebook Metaverse informed by the research. / Young adults’ perception of Facebook Metaverse in less than 11 minutes

[pt] Inspirada nas análises seminais do Developemntspeak, o dialeto utilizado no campo do desenvolvimento, produzidas na virada do milênio, e nas contribuições feministas nos Estudos de Ciência e Tecnologia, esta tese de doutorado constrói uma crítica epistemológica da Agenda 2030 tomando o discurso do desenvolvimento como proxy das forças que agem sobre as agendas internacionais de desenvolvimento. Misturando análises qualitativas e quantitativas, os métodos aqui aplicados revelam não apenas o que o desenvolvimento pretende ser, mas também como ele pode terminar aquém das suas próprias expectativas. Em termos simples, esta tese dispõe conceitos e práticas lado a lado como uma estratégia capaz de revelar quanto do discurso elaborado e afinado dos documentos oficiais é traduzido em ações concretas. Ao rastrear as palavras, rastreamos as transformações que ocorrem neste campo e descobrimos que algumas palavras permanecem, enquanto outras desaparecem, e que alguns conceitos são incluídos no discurso oficial com o propósito de produzir eufemismo, ambiguidade ou neutralidade funcionando muitas vezes como uma colherada de açúcar que ajuda a tornar essas agendas em remédios mais palatáveis. Dois conceitos principais surgem desta análise: participação e dados. Como algo antigo e algo novo, respectivamente, eles nos ajudam a compreender como a Agenda 2030 carrega ao mesmo tempo antigas problemáticas e uma nova fachada. Considerando a natureza hiperquantitativa da Agenda 2030, o caminho que começa rodeado de discussões sobre a política da linguagem evolui rapidamente para locais onde os principais debates giram em torno da política dos dados. / [en] Inspired by the seminal analyses of Developmentspeak, the dialect used in the development field, produced at the turn of the millennium, and feminist contributions in Science and Technology Studies (STS), this PhD thesis builds an epistemological critique of the 2030 Agenda taking Developmentspeak as an accurate proxy of the forces pushing and pulling international development agendas. Mixing qualitative and quantitative analysis, the methods pursued in this work unveil not only what development intends to be, but also how it might fall short from its own expectations. In simple terms, concepts and practices get disposed side by side in this work as a strategy to reveal how much of the elaborated and finely tuned discourse of official documents hits the ground. As a result, by tracking words, we track transformations going on in the field: discovering that some words remain, while some fade away, and that some concepts are included into official discourse with the purpose of producing euphemism, ambiguity or neutrality working many times as the spoonful of sugar that helps the bitter medicine of development go down. Two main concepts arise from this analysis: participation and data. As something old and something new, respectively, they help us to understand how the 2030 Agenda carries both ancient problematics and a novel façade. Considering the hyper-quantitative nature of the 2030 Agenda, the path that begins surrounded by discussions on the politics of language quickly evolves to places in which the main debates revolve around the politics of data.

The examination of the role of the state in the broader context of socio-technical entanglement within data governance has received less attention due to the emergence of other powerful corporate actors (e.g. Big Tech). This thesis utilizes quantitative content analysis to investigate and compare how state agencies (the White House, FTC, Congress) and CNN framed data governance in 2022, focusing on the role of the state amid growing data privacy concerns following the Roe v. Wade overruling. The ultimate aim is to pinpoint the sociotechnical imaginaries that gain traction, having a constitutive effect on the US data governance order. Empirical results indicate that framings between the two units rather align than differ, particularly in the wake of the overruling. The evidence points to the active and multiple roles of the state and the coexistence of multiple sociotechnical imaginaries within asymmetric power dynamics, with the vision of ensuring consumer trust rising as prominent at the expense of viewing data privacy as a sovereign right of citizens. Despite the emerging perspective of viewing data privacy as a right, CNN, as a significant place of mediation, has amplified rather than challenged the market-based approach. Lastly, evidence indicates that media is not only a significant place for elevating certain sociotechnical imaginaries but could be considered one of the crucial places of initially discursively negotiated policymaking.