Modeling in ethnocomputing: replacing bi-directional flows with recursive emergence

Ethnocomputing is the study of the intersections between culture and computing. In addition to cultural analysis of computing, it also utilizes computing to model artifacts or practices from a given culture. In this essay, we consider three modes of modeling. In the first mode, the knowledge flow is unidirectional: the researcher analyzes indigenous designs and provides a computing model. In the second mode, the knowledge flow is bidirectional with researchers bringing a technical etic (outsider) perspective and informants bringing a cultural emic (insider) perspective. In the third mode, knowledge flow is recursive; there are bidirectional flows nested within other bidirectional flows. Our case study begins with computer simulations of log curves in Adinkra symbols in Ghana. Thus, we show that there are nested flows between nature and the indigenous artisans who model nature’s growth patterns; between our own ethnocomputing simulations and the students and teachers in Ghanaian classrooms; and finally between the history of computing in the West and the implementation of educational technology. Our data indicates that a recursive model that can account for these nested flows better enables researchers to integrate social justice and sustainability with education and research in both social and technical domains

Extrapolating significance of text-based autonomous vehicle scenarios to multimedia scenarios and implications for user-centered design

Extrapolation from low-fidelity design iterations is especially critical in HRI. An initial proposal for low-fidelity to higher fidelity extrapolation is developed using insights from cognitive multimedia learning theory to account for the effects of prototype medium and three types of cognitive demands. Inspired by Donald Norman and others, our proposal leverages tightly controlled and multi-authored scenarios through crowdsourcing to create additional potential evidence as a kind of experimental “stress test.” We motivate our proposal by investigating the intersection of emotion and human control, which is understudied outside of autonomous vehicles (AV) and HRI research. Evidence for positively moderated emotional effects in text-based AV scenarios as well as tentative evidence for our extrapolation proposal are identified.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/168412/1/Robinson et al. 2021.pdfDescription of Robinson et al. 2021.pdf : PreprintSEL

AI for a Generative Economy: The Role of Intelligent Systems in Sustaining Unalienated Labor, Environment, and Society

Extractive economies pull value from a system without restoring it. Unsustainable extraction of ecological value includes over-fishing, clear-cut logging, etc. Extraction of labor value is similarly objectionable: assembly line jobs for example increase the likelihood of cardiovascular disease, depression, suicide and other problems. Extraction of social value--vacuuming up online personal information, commodification of the public sphere, and so on-- constitutes a third form. But all three domains--ecological value, labor value, and social value--can thrive in unalienated forms if we can create a future of work that replaces extraction with generative cycles. AI is a key technology in developing these alternative economic forms. This paper describes some initial experiments with African, African American, and Native American artisans who were willing to experiment with the introduction of computational enhancements to their work. Following our report on these initial results, we map out a vision for how AI could scale up labor that sustains “heritage algorithms”, ecologically situated value chains and other hybrid forms that prevent value alienation while flourishing from its robust circulation.NSF grant DRL-1640014NSF grant DGE-0947980Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/150647/1/FSS-19_paper_64.pdfDescription of FSS-19_paper_64.pdf : Preprint Versio

Automation for the Artisanal Economy: Enhancing the Economic and Environmental Sustainability of Crafting Professions with Human-Machine Collaboration

Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to eliminate millions of jobs, from finance to truck driving. But artisanal products—(e.g. handmade textiles) are valued precisely because of their human origins, and thus have some inherent “immunity” from AI job loss. At the same time, artisanal labor, combined with technology, could potentially help to democratize the economy, allowing independent, small scale businesses to flourish. Could AI, robotics and related automation technologies enhance the economic viability and environmental sustainability of these beloved crafting professions, perhaps even expanding their niche to replace some job loss in other sectors? In this paper we compare the problems created by the current mass production economy, and potential solutions from an artisanal economy. In doing so, the paper details the possibilities of utilizing AI to support hybrid forms of human-machine production at the micro-scale; localized and sustainable value chains at the meso-scale; and networks of these localized and sustainable producers at the macro scale. In short, a wide range of automation technologies are potentially available for facilitating and empowering an artisanal economy. Ultimately, it is our hope that this paper will facilitate a discussion on a future vision for more “generative” economic forms in which labor value, ecological value and social value can circulate without extraction or alienation.National Science Foundation DRL-1640014National Science Foundation DGE-0947980Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/150492/1/Eglash et al. accepted in 2019.pdfDescription of Eglash et al. accepted in 2019.pdf : Preprint Versio

Hip Hop as Computational Neuroscience: How the Hood Hacked our Global Rhythmic Nervous System

Long before the internet provided us with a networked digital system, music exchanges had created a global networked analog system, built of recordings, radio broadcasts, and live performance. The features that allowed some audio formations to go viral, while others failed, fall at the intersection of three domains: access, culture, and cognition. We know how the explosive growth of the hip hop recording industry addressed the access problem, and how hip hop lyrics addressed cultural needs. But why does hip hop make your ass shake? This essay proposes that hip hop artists were creating an innovation in brain-to-brain connectivity. That is to say, there are deep parts of the limbic system that had not previously been connected to linguistic centers in the combination of neural and social pathways that hip hop facilitated. This research is not an argument for using computational neuroscience to analyze hip hop. Rather, it is asking what hip hop artists accomplished as the street version of computational neuroscientists; and, how they strategically deployed Black music traditions to rewire the world’s global rhythmic nervous system for new cognitive, cultural, and political alignments and sensibilities

De Marx e “makers”: uma perspectiva histórica sobre a justiça generativa

In Marxist frameworks “distributive justice” depends on extracting value through a centralized state. Many new social movements—peer to peer economy, maker activism, community agriculture, queer ecology, etc.—take the opposite approach, keeping value in its unalienated form and allowing it to freely circulate from the bottom up. Unlike Marxism, there is no general theory for bottom-up, unalienated value circulation. This paper examines the concept of “generative justice” through an historical contrast between Marx’s writings and the indigenous cultures that he drew upon. Marx erroneously concluded that while indigenous cultures had unalienated forms of production, only centralized value extraction could allow the productivity needed for a high quality of life. To the contrary, indigenous cultures now provide a robust model for the “gift economy” that underpins open source technological production, agroecology, and restorative approaches to civil rights. Expanding Marx’s concept of unalienated labor value to include unalienated ecological (nonhuman) value, as well as the domain of freedom in speech, sexual orientation, spirituality and other forms of “expressive” value, we arrive at an historically informed perspective for generative justice. En términos marxistas, la "justicia distributiva" depende de la extracción de valor a través de un estado centralizado. Muchos de los nuevos movimientos sociales centrados en la economía peer to peer, el activismo fabricante, la agricultura comunitaria, ecología queer, etc., toman el camino contrario: mantener el valor en su forma alienada permitiendo que circule libremente desde abajo hacia arriba. A diferencia del marxismo, no existe una teoría general de abajo hacia arriba sobre la circulación del valor no alienado. Este artículo examina el concepto de "justicia generativa" a través de un contraste histórico entre los escritos de Marx y las culturas indígenas en que se basó. Marx llegó a la conclusión errónea de que, mientras que las culturas indígenas tenían formas enajenadas de producción, sólo el valor de la extracción centralizada podría permitir la productividad necesaria para una alta calidad de vida. Sin embargo, las culturas indígenas ahora proporcionan un modelo sólido para la "economía del don" que sustenta la producción tecnológica de código abierto, la agroecología y las aproximaciones de restitución de los derechos civiles. Ampliando el concepto del valor del trabajo no alienado de Marx para incluir el valor no alienado ecológico (no humano), así como el dominio de la libertad de expresión, la orientación sexual, la espiritualidad y otras formas de valor "expresiva", llegamos a una definición de la justicia generativa.For the English abstract, please select "English" in the language settings on the right column. Em termos marxistas, uma “justiça distributiva” pressuporia extrair valor através de um estado centralizado. Muitos dos novos movimentos sociais (economia peer-to-peer, ativismo fabricante, agricultura comunitária, ecologia queer, etc.) tomam um caminho inverso: mantêm o valor em sua forma não alienada, permitindo que circule livremente de “baixo” para “cima”. Diferente do Marxismo, não existe uma teoria geral para a circulação de valor inalienado de baixo para cima. Este artigo examina o conceito de “justiça generativa” através de um contraste histórico entre os escritos de Marx e as culturas indígenas a que ele recorreu. Marx concluiu erroneamente que, enquanto as culturas indígenas tivessem formas não alienadas de produção, somente a extração de valor centralizada poderia permitir a produtividade necessária para uma alta qualidade de vida. Ao contrário, culturas indígenas agora  fornecem um modelo robusto para a “economia do dom”, que sustenta modalidades como a produção tecnológica de código aberto, a agroecologia e as abordagens restauradoras de direitos civis. Expandindo o conceito marxista de “valor do trabalho alienado” (para incluir o valor ecológico inalienado não-humano, bem como o domínio da liberdade de expressão, orientação sexual, espiritualidade e outras formas de valor “expressivas”), chegamos a uma perspectiva historicamente informada para uma justiça generativa

An Introduction to Generative Justice

Marx proposed that capitalism’s destructive force is caused, at root, by the alienation of labor value from its generators. Environmentalists have added the concept of unalienated ecological value, and rights activists added the unalienated expressive value of free speech, sexuality, spirituality, etc. Marx’s vision for restoring an unalienated world by top-down economic governance was never fulfilled. But in the last 30 years, new forms of social justice have emerged that operate as “bottom-up”. Peer-to-peer production such as open source software or wikipedia has challenged the corporate grip on IP in a “gift exchange” of labor value; community based agroecology establishes a kind of gift exchange with our nonhuman allies in nature. DIY citizenship from feminist makerspaces to queer biohacking has profound implications for a new materialism of the “knowledge commons”; and restorative approaches to civil rights can challenge the prison-industrial complex. In contrast to top-down “distributive justice,” all of the above are cases of bottom-up or “generative justice” Marx propôs que a força destrutiva do capitalismo é causada, tem sua raiz, na alienação do valor do trabalho dos seus produtores. Ambientalistas adicionaram o conceito de valor ecológico não alienado, e ativistas somaram o não alienado expressivo valor de liberdade de expressão, sexualidade, espiritualidade, etc. A visão de Marx para restaurar um mundo não alienado por governância econômica de cima para baixo nunca foi realizada. Mas nos últimos 30 anos, novas formas de justiça social tem emergido que operam como “de baixo para cima”. Produções peer-to-peer como softwares livres ou Wikipedia tem desafiado o controle corporativo sobre a Propiedade Intelectual através da troca de dádiva (“gift exchange”)  do valor do trabalho; agroecologia com base comunitária estabelece um tipo de troca de dádiva com nossos aliados não humanos na natureza. Cidadania DIY (faça você mesmo) de femininstas makerspaces a biohacking queer tem implicações profundas para um novo materialismo do “knowledge commons”(conhecimento comum); e perspectivas restaurativas aos direitos civis podem desafiar o complexo industrial-carcerário. Em oposição à “justiça distributiva” de cima para baixo, todos os casos acima são de baixa para cima ou “justiça generativa”

Of Marx and Makers: an Historical Perspective on Generative Justice

In Marxist frameworks “distributive justice” depends on extracting value through a centralized state. Many new social movements—peer to peer economy, maker activism, community agriculture, queer ecology, etc.—take the opposite approach, keeping value in its unalienated form and allowing it to freely circulate from the bottom up. Unlike Marxism, there is no general theory for bottom-up, unalienated value circulation. This paper examines the concept of “generative justice” through an historical contrast between Marx’s writings and the indigenous cultures that he drew upon. Marx erroneously concluded that while indigenous cultures had unalienated forms of production, only centralized value extraction could allow the productivity needed for a high quality of life. To the contrary, indigenous cultures now provide a robust model for the “gift economy” that underpins open source technological production, agroecology, and restorative approaches to civil rights. Expanding Marx’s concept of unalienated labor value to include unalienated ecological (nonhuman) value, as well as the domain of freedom in speech, sexual orientation, spirituality and other forms of “expressive” value, we arrive at an historically informed perspective for generative justice. Em termos marxistas, uma “justiça distributiva” pressuporia extrair valor através de um estado centralizado. Muitos dos novos movimentos sociais (economia peer-to-peer, ativismo fabricante, agricultura comunitária, ecologia queer, etc.) tomam um caminho inverso: mantêm o valor em sua forma não alienada, permitindo que circule livremente de “baixo” para “cima”. Diferente do Marxismo, não existe uma teoria geral para a circulação de valor inalienado de baixo para cima. Este artigo examina o conceito de “justiça generativa” através de um contraste histórico entre os escritos de Marx e as culturas indígenas a que ele recorreu. Marx concluiu erroneamente que, enquanto as culturas indígenas tivessem formas não alienadas de produção, somente a extração de valor centralizada poderia permitir a produtividade necessária para uma alta qualidade de vida. Ao contrário, culturas indígenas agora  fornecem um modelo robusto para a “economia do dom”, que sustenta modalidades como a produção tecnológica de código aberto, a agroecologia e as abordagens restauradoras de direitos civis. Expandindo o conceito marxista de “valor do trabalho alienado” (para incluir o valor ecológico inalienado não-humano, bem como o domínio da liberdade de expressão, orientação sexual, espiritualidade e outras formas de valor “expressivas”), chegamos a uma perspectiva historicamente informada para uma justiça generativa.En términos marxistas, la "justicia distributiva" depende de la extracción de valor a través de un estado centralizado. Muchos de los nuevos movimientos sociales centrados en la economía peer to peer, el activismo fabricante, la agricultura comunitaria, ecología queer, etc., toman el camino contrario: mantener el valor en su forma alienada permitiendo que circule libremente desde abajo hacia arriba. A diferencia del marxismo, no existe una teoría general de abajo hacia arriba sobre la circulación del valor no alienado. Este artículo examina el concepto de "justicia generativa" a través de un contraste histórico entre los escritos de Marx y las culturas indígenas en que se basó. Marx llegó a la conclusión errónea de que, mientras que las culturas indígenas tenían formas enajenadas de producción, sólo el valor de la extracción centralizada podría permitir la productividad necesaria para una alta calidad de vida. Sin embargo, las culturas indígenas ahora proporcionan un modelo sólido para la "economía del don" que sustenta la producción tecnológica de código abierto, la agroecología y las aproximaciones de restitución de los derechos civiles. Ampliando el concepto del valor del trabajo no alienado de Marx para incluir el valor no alienado ecológico (no humano), así como el dominio de la libertad de expresión, la orientación sexual, la espiritualidad y otras formas de valor "expresiva", llegamos a una definición de la justicia generativa