Innovation for political activism

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2008.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-142).This thesis presents contestational design, a unique form of design activity whose aim is promote particular agendas in contested political arenas. I propose a framework for analyzing contestational design processes, which I then apply to two initiatives that developed communications infrastructure for activist groups. The first case study is TXTmob, an SMS-broadcast system that I developed with an ad-hoc coalition of activists to support mass mobilizations during the 2004 Democratic and Republican National Conventions. It has been used by thousands of people and has inspired new projects in both the nonprofit and commercial sectors. The second case study is Dialup Radio, a telephone-based independent media system that I developed with a civil society organization in Zimbabwe. It was intended to disseminate activist information, particularly to Zimbabwe's rural poor. Despite limited infrastructure and government restrictions, several prototypes were produced and tested in Zimbabwe. After describing each case study individually, I turn to a comparison of their respective processes and the artifacts that each produced. Examining the cases side by side, I identify a set of common issues with which contestational designers contend at various points in the design process. Finally, I describe a set of organizing principles that distinguish contestational design from other kinds of design activity.Tad Hirsch.Ph.D

Mobile telephony for community networking and civic engagement in an immigrant community

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2004.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 76-81).Immigrants face a variety of barriers limiting their access to social services. These include inability to speak English, unfamiliarity with available services, and distrust of government agencies. To overcome these obstacles, many immigrants rely on informal social networks for information, advice, and language interpretation. This is an imperfect solution that provides inadequate access for the immigrant and unduly burdens friends and family members. More importantly, it does little to address the social isolation that characterizes much of the immigrant experience and contributes to the disenfranchisement of immigrant communities. Speakeasy is a community-based service that provides telephone-based access to a network of volunteers who provide real-time language interpretation and help navigate complex social service networks. Relying on the constant connectivity afforded by cell phones and wireless devices, Speakeasy overcomes barriers to traditional forms of volunteerism with a "just in time" model of community service. The system also encourages community development efforts by engaging new immigrants and volunteers in community activity, and by fostering a sense of collective identity. A study with members of Boston's Chinatown community showed that Speakeasy is an effective, convenient, and easy to use service that engenders trust among non-English speakers.by Edward A. Hirsch.S.M