The social imaginaries of data activism

Data activism, promoting new forms of civic and political engagement, has emerged as a response to problematic aspects of datafication that include tensions between data openness and data ownership, and asymmetries in terms of data usage and distribution. In this article, we discuss MyData, a data a...

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Main Authors: Tuukka Lehtiniemi, Minna Ruckenstein
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2018-12-01
Series:Big Data & Society
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/2053951718821146
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spelling doaj-4deb1dfbc4ec4068acbeb8d590c651da2020-11-25T03:24:02ZengSAGE PublishingBig Data & Society2053-95172018-12-01610.1177/2053951718821146The social imaginaries of data activismTuukka LehtiniemiMinna RuckensteinData activism, promoting new forms of civic and political engagement, has emerged as a response to problematic aspects of datafication that include tensions between data openness and data ownership, and asymmetries in terms of data usage and distribution. In this article, we discuss MyData, a data activism initiative originating in Finland, which aims to shape a more sustainable citizen-centric data economy by means of increasing individuals' control of their personal data. Using data gathered during long-term participant-observation in collaborative projects with data activists, we explore the internal tensions of data activism by first outlining two different social imaginaries – technological and socio-critical – within MyData, and then merging them to open practical and analytical space for engaging with the socio-technical futures currently in the making. While the technological imaginary favours data infrastructures as corrective measures, the socio-critical imaginary questions the effectiveness of technological correction. Unpacking them clarifies the kinds of political and social alternatives that different social imaginaries ascribe to the notions underlying data activism, and highlights the need to consider the social structures in play. The more far-reaching goal of our exercise is to provide practical and analytical resources for critical engagement in the context of data activism. By merging technological and socio-critical imaginaries in the work of reimagining governing structures and knowledge practices alongside infrastructural arrangements, scholars can depart from the most obvious forms of critique, influence data activism practice, and formulate data ethics and data futures.https://doi.org/10.1177/2053951718821146
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Tuukka Lehtiniemi
Minna Ruckenstein
spellingShingle Tuukka Lehtiniemi
Minna Ruckenstein
The social imaginaries of data activism
Big Data & Society
author_facet Tuukka Lehtiniemi
Minna Ruckenstein
author_sort Tuukka Lehtiniemi
title The social imaginaries of data activism
title_short The social imaginaries of data activism
title_full The social imaginaries of data activism
title_fullStr The social imaginaries of data activism
title_full_unstemmed The social imaginaries of data activism
title_sort social imaginaries of data activism
publisher SAGE Publishing
series Big Data & Society
issn 2053-9517
publishDate 2018-12-01
description Data activism, promoting new forms of civic and political engagement, has emerged as a response to problematic aspects of datafication that include tensions between data openness and data ownership, and asymmetries in terms of data usage and distribution. In this article, we discuss MyData, a data activism initiative originating in Finland, which aims to shape a more sustainable citizen-centric data economy by means of increasing individuals' control of their personal data. Using data gathered during long-term participant-observation in collaborative projects with data activists, we explore the internal tensions of data activism by first outlining two different social imaginaries – technological and socio-critical – within MyData, and then merging them to open practical and analytical space for engaging with the socio-technical futures currently in the making. While the technological imaginary favours data infrastructures as corrective measures, the socio-critical imaginary questions the effectiveness of technological correction. Unpacking them clarifies the kinds of political and social alternatives that different social imaginaries ascribe to the notions underlying data activism, and highlights the need to consider the social structures in play. The more far-reaching goal of our exercise is to provide practical and analytical resources for critical engagement in the context of data activism. By merging technological and socio-critical imaginaries in the work of reimagining governing structures and knowledge practices alongside infrastructural arrangements, scholars can depart from the most obvious forms of critique, influence data activism practice, and formulate data ethics and data futures.
url https://doi.org/10.1177/2053951718821146
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