Collective capabilities for resisting far-right extremism online and in the real world

This article examines the capacity of groups in civil society to observe and mitigate far-right extremism. A critical feature of far-right activity today is the adoption of digital technologies such as social media platforms, email, and distributed chat servers. But transitions in underlying sociomaterial systems also contribute to capabilities for civil society to fight back. Using a framework that integrates sociomaterial perspectives of digital transformation with the Capability Approach, the article identifies a set of capabilities for collective action valued at the Far-Right Observatory in Ireland. The FRO is intellectually and empirically interesting because it aims to combine a commitment to building capabilities amongst communities most impacted by extremism; the cultivation of in-house expertise; and collective capabilities developed by new forms of digital advocacy organisations. In conclusion, the article speculates on the possibilities for digital advocacy organisations more broadly to cultivate capabilities that challenge narrow technologically-directed transition and instead contribute to more plural radical transformation

Accountability and neglect in UK social care = Innovación y abandono en la "social care" del Reino Unido

Innovation alters who is accountable for social care and how they are held to account. This article shows how organisational, institutional, and technological innovation in infrastructures of social care can reconfigure accountability instruments and propel change between distinct modes of accountability. But innovation also sustains neglect: in terms of issues, objects and subjects missing from research; and in terms of low levels of institutional reflexivity mobilized to evaluate and direct innovation’s impacts. Evidenced using situational analysis at two levels – across a UK research portfolio and within a public robotics lab – we argue confronting this neglect is critical for post-pandemic reform

Financing innovation in renewable energy

Global new investment in green energy technologies hit $329 billion in 2015 says Bloomberg New Energy Finance. That’s a good thing right? Well, not necessarily. Knowledge is always partial, and despite impressive breadth of data gathering, some fundamentals remain unclear. That’s where Mariana Mazzucato and Gregor Semieniuk came in, organising a special workshop on Financing Innovation in Renewable Energy hosted by Bloomberg NEF which asked, who is doing what, where and when? This short blog discusses highlights from the worksho

Ethics and data use in UK social care

Presented at EASST 2022, Madrid, 6th July 202

Accountability and neglect in UK social care innovation

Innovation alters who is accountable for social care and how they are held to account. This article shows how organisational, institutional and technological innovation in infrastructures of social care can reconfigure accountability instruments and propel change between distinct modes of accountability. However, innovation also sustains neglect, both in terms of issues, objects and subjects missing from research, and in terms of low levels of institutional reflexivity mobilised to evaluate and direct innovation’s impacts. Evidenced using two-level situational analysis – across a UK research portfolio and within a public robotics lab – we argue that confronting this neglect is critical for post-pandemic reform

Crafting stories of technology and progress: five considerations

In telling technology’s stories of social progress, we are right to celebrate unprecedented advances in health and education, transport and computation. But we must point out hidden costs, uneven distributions, and unequal access. We must open our stories to a wider cast of characters, be they heroes, villains, or those with ambiguous intent, and we must confront the individuals, interests, and institutions that propel technological change for better or worse

The Nexus Network Resource Conflicts and Social Justice workshop 2016 report

In recent years, the notion of the nexus has gained traction in the domain of natural resource governance. It has become the defining vocabulary to understand the interlinkages between land, water, food and climate. Since the 2008 World Economic Forum pushed key players to be concerned about water, food and energy security and their interlinkages, the nexus has become a strong policy metaphor to address the ‘world in crises’. This report provides a synthesis of ideas and cases discussed at the Nexus Network Resource Conflicts workshop, held in the Institute of Development Studies on Monday 29 February 2016

The BBC as market shaper and creator

At the heart of the government’s White Paper on the future of the BBC is an implicit accusation that the broadcaster is ‘crowding out’ the market through the scale and quality of its services. This chapter assess the utility of this 'crowding out' argument and suggests instead an alternative framework with which to assess the BBC's ability to de-risk the private sector as well as to create new market landscapes