1. |
- Cerratto Pargman, Teresa, et al.
(author)
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Experimenting with Novel Forms of Computing : The case of the Swedish Citizen Observatory for Water Quality Conservation
- 2019
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In: Proceedings of the Fifth Workshop on Computing within Limits. - New York, NY, USA : Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). - 9781450372817
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the Anthropocene, we are looking at an impending future that is characterized by resource scarcity. In this paper we ask how socio-technical arrangements can facilitate a transition from the course we are on today to one of adaptation and conservation. Taking the case of citizen observatories (COs) for water quality conservation as an illustrative lens, this paper analyses the potential of COs to form Publics for management and stewardship of natural resources from a Computing within Limits perspective. Based on interviews, participant observations and co-design workshops with a wide range of stakeholders, we draw attention to 1) the complexities of water quality management in Sweden, 2) the differing views of policymakers and citizens about citizen participation in water governance and 3) designers' efforts in co-developing a sustainable socio-technical system for bringing about change in water quality management. Our work contributes to research on Computing within Limits by identifying opportunities and challenges that arise when designers seek to form Publics and through them transform institutional arrangements.
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2. |
- Cerratto-Pargman, Teresa, et al.
(author)
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Reconfiguring civic participation : open source software in the political space
- 2016
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Conference paper (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- Discourses on participation, democracy and politics are today profoundly questioned and challenged. Internet and the entrance of open source software into the governmental sphere have much contributed toward the shift in understandings of citizen participation, their rights and representation. In the field of participatory design such an inquiry is reflected in a shift of focus regarding the study of the use of technologies within government. From being concerned by issues on transparency and equity researchers are nowadays more prone to explore issues regarding the transformative power or/and performativity of open source software in contexts such as government. This paper describes the case of the political “Net Party” which in 2013 introduced the platform “Democracy OS” into the legislature of the Ciudad de Buenos Aires in Argentina. The question that motivates the study is: Do open source tools redefine the political space and reconfigure citizen civic participation? And if so, how? The paper contributes five analytical axes for scrutinizing the entrance of open source tools into the political space.
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3. |
- Cerratto-Pargman, Teresa, et al.
(author)
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Understanding Limits from a Social-Ecological perspective
- 2015
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In: First Monday. - : University of Illinois Libraries. - 1396-0466. ; 20:8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The latest developments in the field of HCI have given rise to an increasing interest in issues pertaining to global warming, resource depletion and environmental degradation. Concern about such issues has contributed to give shape to the design space of sustainable HCI (SHCI); a space whose boundaries are at times blurred. On the one hand, some, design “sustainable” information technology based on visions of the world that do not really question limits to continuous economic growth and, on the other hand, others embrace the design of information technology from stances that acknowledges limits (i.e., economic, ecological, energetic). This paper introduces the perspective of social ecology into SHCI. This perspective provides us with a core set of principles that makes us situate computing at the intersection of physical (natural) and moral (human) qualities of our human environment systems. As such it confronts us with choices to be made in the challenging years to come and invites us to argue about the very purpose of information technology in a world of limitations.
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4. |
- Füssl, Elisabeth, et al.
(author)
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Methodological development of a specific tool for assessing acceptability of assistive systems of powered two-wheeler-riders
- 2015
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In: IET Intelligent Transport Systems. - : Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). - 1751-956X .- 1751-9578. ; 9:1, s. 12-21
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Research on the acceptability of assistive systems for improving the safety of powered two-wheelers (PTWs) is a pressing issue. The use of safety-enhancing assistive systems for motorised vehicles, including advanced driver assistance systems and in-vehicle information systems is widespread in many countries. Yet, there is only a limited number of equivalent intelligent transport systems (ITS) for PTWs, namely advanced rider assistance systems and on-bike information systems. This study describes the methodological development of a specific tool for assessing motorcyclists’ acceptability of ITS, as part of the motorcyclists’ profiling questionnaire (MOPROQ). There were three stages of development. First, a literature review was undertaken to assess the current state of the art regarding ITS for PTWs and to determine the most relevant facets of acceptability that should be measured. Second, a series of focus group interviews were conducted to explore riders’ attitudes towards ITS. Finally, the focus group results were used to develop a large-scale survey (MOPROQ), which was administered to an initial sample of over 6000 riders internationally. The designed tool can be used as a basis for the determination of rider acceptability of ITS systems in the future.
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5. |
- Hansson, Karin, et al.
(author)
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Provocation, conflict, and appropriation : The role of the designer in making publics
- 2018
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In: Design Issues. - : MIT Press Journals. - 0747-9360 .- 1531-4790. ; 34:4, s. 3-7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The role and embodiment of the designer/artist in making publics is significant. This special issue draws attention to reflexive practices in Art & Design, and questions how these practices are embedded in the formations and operations of publics, grounded in six cases of participatory design conducted in the United States, India, Turkey, England, Denmark, and Belgium. From these design practices, typologies of participation are formulated that describe the role of the designer. These typologies describe different and sometimes conflicting epistemologies—providing designers with a vocabulary to communicate a diversity of participatory settings and supporting reflexive practices.
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6. |
- Hansson, Karin, et al.
(author)
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Ting: making publics through provocation, conflict and appropriation
- 2016
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In: Proceedings of the 14th Participatory Design Conference: Short Papers, Interactive Exhibitions, Workshops. - New York, NY, USA : Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). - 9781450341363 ; , s. 109-110
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In Swedish the word "ting" has different meanings. It can mean "things", "matters" and "a session at court" as well as the act of appropriating space. This one-day workshop starts in the notion of the artifact as a "ting", and design as something that raises a question, provokes a discussion, and creates a public through which agonistic encounters occur. This particular lens allows us to approach design beyond 'merely producing artifacts'. Instead, we come to see it as a production of provocations, speculations, and alternative interpretations of the social world as well as new sets of relationships between participants in this public.Because of the importance of the role and embodiment of the designer/artist in making publics, this workshop calls attention to self-reflective practices in participatory design, and questions how these practices can be embedded in the functionality of new publics and design practices.
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7. |
- Hinton, Jennifer, 1982-
(author)
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Profit-Orientation and Post-Growth Economies : Building Theory for Social-Ecological Resilience
- 2019
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Licentiate thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This thesis takes a post-growth perspective in order to answer the overarching research question: How does business profit-orientation affect social-ecological sustainability? It is the result of putting different pieces of the puzzle together - across the microeconomic and macroeconomic scales - in order to build a stronger conceptual and theoretical basis for sustainable post-growth economies.In Part 1, I describe what a post-growth perspective entails, as an inherently social-ecological systems approach. I give a brief overview of the state-of-the-art of post-growth thinking in terms of problem identification, drivers of growth, and solutions. I also identify important gaps in terms of the way post-growth scholarship has approached profit and business, particularly regarding profit-orientation. I also identify an important gap with regards to the lack of a post-growth theory of the firm. Part 2 describes my research objectives and the questions that I aim to answer in this study, as well as a brief description of the two manuscripts of the thesis in relation to these questions. In Part 3, I describe the ontological, epistemological, and methodological underpinnings of my approach. I also detail the steps I have taken in building up the concepts and theory that my manuscripts put forward. Part 4 describes the key results in the manuscripts and contributions to the relevant research communities. In essence, Manuscript 1 provides a conceptualization of profit-orientation as the nexus between the purpose, ownership, and investment of a firm. It then outlines how profit-orientation drives certain dynamics of the aggregate economy, through the development of ideal types of economies (i.e., a for-profit economy, a hybrid economy, and a not-for-profit economy). Key contributions of this paper include a clarification of what profit-orientation is and its role in driving consumerism, economic growth, inequality, market concentration, and political capture. Building on this first paper, Manuscript 2 presents the diverse and complex aspects of business that are commonly mentioned in the sustainable business and post-growth literature, and offers a framework that organizes all of these aspects into five dimensions: profit-orientation; incorporation structure; governance structure; strategy; and size and geographical scope. Key contributions of this paper include simplifying and ordering the complexity of the firm, as well as offering a common terminology for discussing, analyzing, and assessing a business’s potential to contribute to post-growth transformations. I end this part with a brief discussion of how the papers complement each other, and contextualize this thesis in the broader sphere of sustainability and social-ecological resilience efforts. In Part 5, I describe the other manuscripts I am writing for my doctoral work and I explore future possibilities for building on this thesis.
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8. |
- Joshi, Somya, et al.
(author)
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Case study - How Public Services in Sweden Help Newcomers to Integrate in the Labour Market and Society through the Digital Platform Mobilearn
- 2018
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In: Co-Production and Co-Creation. - New York : Routledge. - 9781138700116 - 9781315204956
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This case study illustrates how migrants in Sweden were involved in the development of a new online platform Mobilearn (Mobilearn, n.d.). In particular, it shows how migrants have shaped the design of a new digital tool in collaboration with service providers from a range of public agencies. The resulting digital tool, Mobilearn, provides a number of key services tailored to the needs of migrants and helps to make public services provided to migrants more efficient. It is therefore a case study of the co-creation of a core service. Mobilearn has received multiple awards and is now being disseminated in other countries.
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9. |
- Joshi, Somya, et al.
(author)
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Every Little Bit Makes Little Difference : The Paradox within SHCI
- 2018
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In: Digital Technology and Sustainability. - : Routledge. - 9781138205888 - 9781315465975
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- As we move towards exhausting our finite natural resources, generating more waste than we can absorb, and as we stare at a future with knock-on climate change within a precariously interconnected ecosystem, the question we ask within this chapter is: what role can the design of technologies play in sustaining meaningful change? We start by examining how sustainability has been framed within the broader literature, and then look more specifically within the SHCI community. The argument we advance here is twofold. The first relates to the temporality of sustainability, as seen as a process. The second relates to the interconnectedness of the endeavor, where we, who are seeking change are part and parcel of the problem. We demonstrate this via the illustrative lens of one such initiative tangled in its yearning for fairness and sustainability within the discourse of consumption and technological novelty. The metaphor offered to us by our empirical case further builds on work carried out on the “non-negotiable limits” to growth and the subsequent need for a more radical approach of activism within SHCI.
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10. |
- Joshi, Somya, et al.
(author)
-
From Assumptions to Artifacts : Unfolding e-participation within Multi-level Governance
- 2017
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In: Electronic Journal of e-Government. - 1479-439X. ; 15:2, s. 116-129
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The role of technological innovation within the context of governance processes is often embraced with rhetorical enthusiasm and seen as a de facto enabler for democratic decision‑making. Underpinning this enthusiasm is the leap of faith made from transparency to trust, from complexity to coherence. The belief that using new tools for e‑participation can generate dramatic transformation in public sector redesign and result in societal benefits is heralded as a shift towards public innovation. It is precisely this belief that we examine in this paper. We start our investigation by providing a conceptualization of what e‑participation means within the context of multi‑level governance. By using a cross case comparison of two European research projects, we provide an empirical base upon which we can examine the process of e‑participation and the implications of digital e‑participation tools for various levels of governance and public accountability. Furthermore we provide an interdisciplinary contribution in understanding the gap between what technological innovation makes possible and the acceptance or openness on the part of decision makers to embrace citizen input within policy processes.
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11. |
- Joshi, Somya, et al.
(author)
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In Search of Fairness : Critical Design Alternatives for Sustainability
- 2015
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In: Proceedings of The Fifth Decennial Aarhus Conference on Critical Alternatives. - : Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). ; , s. 37-40
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Caught between the infinite promise unleashed by technology proliferation and the unprecedented scale of resource depletion, waste and inequity, we inhabit a space where critical alternatives are sought more than ever. As a reflection of the above, we find in HCI, a slant towards technological fixes to existing sustainability problems, as opposed to a more holistic approach that includes behavioural and societal change. It is within this context that this paper is situated, where we propose a socio-ecological approach and argue our case for a life-cycle lens towards building systems that are in line with current understanding of the earth’s finite resources. We do so by presenting an illustrative case study of what such critical alternatives might look like, by examining the Fairphone movement. We contribute to a deeper understanding of how social value laden enterprises along with open technological design can shape sustainable relationships between our environment and us.
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12. |
- Joshi, Somya, et al.
(author)
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On fairness & sustainability : Motivating change in the networked society
- 2015
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In: Proceedings of EnviroInfo and ICT for Sustainability 2015. - Paris, France : Atlantis Press. - 9789462520929 ; , s. 335-344
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Caught between the infinite promise unleashed by technology proliferation and the unprecedented scale of resource depletion, waste and inequity, we inhabit a space where critical alternatives are sought more than ever. As a reflection of the above, we find in HCI, a slant towards technological quick-fixes to existing sustainability problems, as opposed to a more holistic approach that includes behavioural and societal change. It is within this context that this paper is situated, where we propose a socio-ecological approach and argue our case for a life-cycle lens towards building systems that are in line with our current understanding of the earth’s finite resources. We do so by presenting an illustrative case study of what such critical alternatives might look like, by examining the Fairphone movement. We contribute to a deeper understanding of how social value laden enterprises along with open technological design can shape sustainable relationships between our environment and us.
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13. |
- Joshi, Somya, et al.
(author)
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Whose Future Is It Anyway? : Limits within Policy Modeling
- 2016
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In: LIMITS '16. - New York, NY, USA : ACM Digital Library. - 9781450342605
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the age of Big Open Linked Data (BOLD), we inhabit a landscape where future scenarios are imagined, modeled, planned for and embedded in policy. Between the euphoric techno-utopian rhetoric of the boundless potential of BOLD innovations and the dystopian view of the dangers of such innovations (e.g. ubiquitous surveillance etc.), this paper offers a critical understanding of the boundaries that are traversed by the implementation of BOLD within policy modeling. We examine BOLD as a tool for imagining futures, for reducing uncertainties, for providing legitimacy and for concentrating power. In doing so we further develop the LIMITs community’s conceptualization of the societal limitations on computing, with specific reference to the assumptions, interpretations and trust that we place in these models when making socio-environmental policy decisions. We use an illustrative case of policy modeling, which provides a much-needed critical discussion of the inherent limitations and risks as well as the promises that are offered by BOLD.
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14. |
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15. |
- Wehn, Uta, et al.
(author)
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Addressing the social dimensions of citizen observatories : The Ground Truth 2.0 socio-technical approach for sustainable implementation of citizen observatories
- 2017
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In: 19th EGU General Assembly, EGU2017. - : European Geosciences Union (EGU). ; , s. 2989-2989
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Owing to ICT-enabled citizen observatories, citizens can take on new roles in environmental monitoring, decision making and co-operative planning, and environmental stewardship. And yet implementing advanced citizen observatories for data collection, knowledge exchange and interactions to support policy objectives is neither always easy nor successful, given the required commitment, trust, and data reliability concerns. Many efforts are facing problems with the uptake and sustained engagement by citizens, limited scalability, unclear long-term sustainability and limited actual impact on governance processes. Similarly, to sustain the engagement of decision makers in citizen observatories, mechanisms are required from the start of the initiative in order to have them invest in and, hence, commit to and own the entire process. In order to implement sustainable citizen observatories, these social dimensions therefore need to be soundly managed. We provide empirical evidence of how the social dimensions of citizen observatories are being addressed in the Ground Truth 2.0 project, drawing on a range of relevant social science approaches. This project combines the social dimensions of citizen observatories with enabling technologies - via a socio-technical approach - so that their customisation and deployment is tailored to the envisaged societal and economic impacts of the observatories. The projects consists of the demonstration and validation of six scaled up citizen observatories in real operational conditions both in the EU and in Africa, with a specific focus on flora and fauna as well as water availability and water quality for land and natural resources management. The demonstration cases (4 EU and 2 African) cover the full 'spectrum' of citizen-sensed data usage and citizen engagement, and therefore allow testing and validation of the socio-technical concept for citizen observatories under a range of conditions.
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