Technology of the Oppressed

How Brazilian favela residents engage with and appropriate technologies, both to fight the oppression in their lives and to represent themselves in the world. Brazilian favelas are impoverished settlements usually located on hillsides or the outskirts of a city. In Technology of the Oppressed, David Nemer draws on extensive ethnographic fieldwork to provide a rich account of how favela residents engage with technology in community technology centers and in their everyday lives. Their stories reveal the structural violence of the information age. But they also show how those oppressed by technology don't just reject it, but consciously resist and appropriate it, and how their experiences with digital technologies enable them to navigate both digital and nondigital sources of oppression—and even, at times, to flourish. Nemer uses a decolonial and intersectional framework called Mundane Technology as an analytical tool to understand how digital technologies can simultaneously be sites of oppression and tools in the fight for freedom. Building on the work of the Brazilian educator and philosopher Paulo Freire, he shows how the favela residents appropriate everyday technologies—technological artifacts (cell phones, Facebook), operations (repair), and spaces (Telecenters and Lan Houses)—and use them to alleviate the oppression in their everyday lives. He also addresses the relationship of misinformation to radicalization and the rise of the new far right. Contrary to the simplistic techno-optimistic belief that technology will save the poor, even with access to technology these marginalized people face numerous sources of oppression, including technological biases, racism, classism, sexism, and censorship. Yet the spirit, love, community, resilience, and resistance of favela residents make possible their pursuit of freedom

Rethinking Digital Inequalities: The Experience of the Marginalized in Community Technology Centers

Thesis (Ph.D.) - Indiana University, Informatics and Computing, 2015Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have emerged as symbols of modernity in the developing world, and currently policy makers and popular press perceived them as bridges to promote social and digital equalities. However, scholars have regularly demonstrated that digital inclusion projects have often failed to meet expectations related to human development objectives. Some postulate that the problem may not be entirely one of project failure, but rather of our limited understanding of the value that technology provides. Hence, this dissertation emphasizes the socio-cultural aspects of digital inclusion projects aimed at favela residents and attempts to understand ICTs aspects and practices from their perspective. Favelas, urban slums in Brazil, are considered marginalized areas due to the absence of State social and physical investments. As a consequence of this, such areas lack proper infrastructure, sanitation and road systems and provide their residents, the marginalized, with a low quality of life. Favela residents are deprived not only of proper services for their basic needs, such as health and education, but also of access to technology and Internet. Most of them rely on community technology centers (CTCs) to access ICTs. Based on an over eight-month ethnography in the favelas of Vitória, Brazil, this dissertation focuses on the motivations, engagements, and adoption of ICTs by favela residents in CTCs. It asks the following questions: (1) What is their experience using CTCs? (2) How does their experience inform the ways we should think about what constitutes empowerment and disempowerment vis-à-vis ICTs? It argues that theoretical positions stemming from technology utilitarianism need expanding, because mundane and non-instrumental practices observed in the favelas shed light on the importance of technology in a variety of dimensions within people’s lives. Encompassing such practices contributes to a broader comprehension of the engagements and strategies that help shape the daily use of technology by people who suffer the consequences of being poor and marginalized

Going Beyond the T in CTC : Social Practices as Care in Community Technology Centers

Community technology center (CTC) is a term usually associated with facilities that provide free or affordable computer and internet access, and sometimes training, to people in underserved communities. Despite the large number of studies done on CTCs, the literature has focused primarily on the use of ICTs as the main, if not the only, activity in these centers. When it comes to addressing social concerns, the literature has often seen them as an outcome of ICT use. It does not highlight CTCs as an inherent and important social space that helps to tackle social issues. Thus, in this study, I present an ethnographic account of how residents of favelas (urban slums in Brazil)—who are from understudied and marginalized areas—used these centers beyond the “T” (technology) in order to fulfill some of their social needs. I highlight the social practices afforded by the CTCs that were beneficial to the underserved communities. By social practices, I focus exclusively on the acts of care performed by individuals in order to address self and community needs. I argue that CTCs go beyond the use of technology and provide marginalized people with a key social space, where they alleviate some of their social concerns, such as lack of proper education, violence, drug cartel activities, and other implications of being poor

Wired Smartphones: Rethinking the role of community technology centers in the mobile Internet era

The growing spread of smartphones and mobile Internet has some practitioners and scholars arguing about the possible irrelevance of Community Technology Centers (CTCs) serving low income communities. However, I claim in this paper that although mobile internet is making great strides, it does not yet substitute for public access; actually, smartphones and computers at CTCs compliment each other in providing those who face digital inequalities with a broader sociotechnical experience. In order to explore this problem space this paper asks the following question: “how do marginalized populations perceive CTCs in the mobile Internet era?” To address this question, I draw on an eight-month critical ethnography in the favelas of Vitória, Brazil, to study slum residents’ uses of ICTs, such as computers and smartphones. I show how marginalized people who are suffering in a relatively severe living environment take advantage of ICTs in order to both fulfill their needs and address their desires

Misinformation in the context of Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19)

O professor Dr. David Nemer responde questões sobre o conceito de desinformação, os elementos que contribuem para a disseminação de desinformação e o seu impacto no contexto da pandemia do Coronavírus. David Nemer answers questions about the concept of misinformation, the elements that contributes to the dissemination of misinformation and its impact on the context of Coronavirus pandemic

When Words Become Unclear : Unmasking ICT Through Visual Methodologies in Participatory ICT4D

Across the globe, our work and social lives are increasingly integrated with Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), yet massive disparities in the values, uses and benefits of ICT exist. New methods are needed to shed light on unique and integrative concepts of ICT across cultures. This paper explores the use of visual methods to facilitate critical engagement with ICT—defined as situational awareness, reflexive ICT practice and power and control over ICT. This definition of critical ICT engagement is informed by a cultural identity lens, and intends to improve participatory methods in ICT for Development (ICT4D) and community technology design and application. Our notion of critical ICT engagement is developed through an analysis of three case studies, each employing visual methods to shed light on concepts and practices of ICT cross-culturally. This paper makes three contributions to the ICT4D literature. First, it establishes a cultural identity lens to chart out cultural differences between researchers and participants, and to develop situational awareness of ICT in context. Second, it defines the conceptual domain of reflexive ICT practice and establishes the key role of researchers in facilitating it. Third, it argues for the need to support participants to develop capacity to engage critically with ICT as a means to influence social and organizational structures. This paper offers a way for researchers and practitioners to engage with cultural issues in community-based research and design using visual methodologies

Repensando as desigualdades digitais: as promessas da web 2.0 para os marginalizados

Este artigo centra-se nos usos das plataformas Web 2.0 por moradores de favelas a fim de expandir nossa compreensão sobre a capacidade de transformação que a Web 2.0 pode (e não pode) fazer em termos de mudança social e inclusão digital. Para explorar essa problemática, eu realizei uma etnografia de dez meses nas favelas de Vitória, Brasil, para estudar as práticas e experiências dos moradores das comunidades na Web 2.0. Eu analiso como a Web 2.0 permitiu aos residentes da favela a capacidade de protestar nas ruas e atravessar as fronteiras sociais, mas quando isso aconteceu, eles enfrentaram algo muito mais forte: exclusão social, brutalidade policial contra negros e pobres e engajamento civil limitado. Web 2.0 technologies have initiated a new age of the Web with promises to empower its users, to promote creativity, and to democratize information production (O\u27REILLY, 2007). This techno-optimistic rhetoric has led the general public to the notion that Web 2.0 platforms indicate some grand authoritative social change. Although Web 2.0 tools can promote citizenship and empowerment for its users, this study questions such emancipatory promises, especially in relation to people facing social and digital marginalization. In order to explore this problem space, an ethnography was carried out for ten months in the favelas of Vitória -ES, Brazil, to study the practices and experiences of the local residents with the Web 2.0. This study analyses how Web 2.0 afforded favela residents the ability to protest on the streets and cross social boundaries, but when they did, they faced something much stronger: social exclusion, police brutality against blacks and the poor, and limited civil engagement. This study aims to expand our understanding of what Web 2.0 can and cannot do in terms of social change and digital inclusion

Exacerbating the Vulnerabilities of Undocumented Migrants: The Risks Involved in the Humanitarian Information Activities of Migrant-Aid Organizations

The information practices and use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) by humanitarian migrant-aid organizations, including activities that encompass collecting, storing, processing, analyzing, using, transmitting, and releasing data about migrants to the public can help humanitarian and migrant-aid organizations be more effective in their work. However, the use of ICTs and certain information practices in these contexts may also increase or exacerbate significant risks to the people these organizations intend to help. In this project, we examine and compare HIA-related activities in two distinct con-texts: 1) humanitarian organizations working to provide lifesaving assistance to undocumented migrants crossing clandestinely into the United States from Mexico, and 2) humanitarian organizations and colleges working to provide assistance and support to undocumented migrants already in the United States. We argue that humanitarian organizations need to develop an extraordinary and sophisticated awareness of the limits of information technologies regarding ethics, security, privacy, and permanence of digital information to truly help vulnerable populations rather than inadvertently increase their vulnerabilities

Sensitive Research, Practice, and Design in HCI

New research areas in HCI examine complex and sensitive research areas, such as crisis, life transitions, and mental health. Further, research in complex topics such as harassment and graphic content can leave researchers vulnerable to emotional and physical harm. There is a need to bring researchers together to discuss challenges across sensitive research spaces and environments. We propose a workshop to explore the methodological, ethical, and emotional challenges of sensitive research in HCI. We will actively recruit from diverse research environments (industry, academia, government, etc.) and methods areas (qualitative, quantitative, design practices, etc.) and identify commonalities in and encourage relationship-building between these areas. This one-day workshop will be led by academic and industry researchers with diverse methods, topical, and employment experiences

Critical incidents analysis : mismatching expectations and reconciling visions in intercultural encounters

Conflicts among stakeholders are common in Community Informatics (CI) research. They often derive from mismatches of expectations and are exacerbated by communication and intercultural issues. Such mismatches are breaking points that might compromise the relationship of trust among project stakeholders and, ultimately, project outcomes. In CI, reflecting on moments of conflict and mismatch might help researchers attend to assumptions and interpret aspects of the cultural context of the communities they work with, as well as their own. This reflection should, then, contribute to a closer connection among stakeholders and sustainable project outcomes. In this paper, we present the Critical Incidents Analysis (CIA) Framework (Brunello, 2015), a tool that was conceived within the Community and Development Informatics field with the aim to reflect upon incidents and misunderstandings among stakeholders, their different cultural perspectives, and – eventually – deal with project breakdowns. We apply the framework to our own research where we analyse conflicts and mismatches of expectations that arose during the fieldwork conducted by two of the authors. We conclude that the CIA framework, applied “a posteriori” to our cases, was a useful tool to better analyse and report on our research, and to recast incidents as opportunities to enable a deeper understanding and – in some cases – build trust among stakeholders