Every information context is a CRiTical Race information Theory opportunity: informatic considerations for the information industrial complex
Purpose – This paper is an extension of a panel presentation delivered in response to a joint call for panels by the Social Informatics and Information Ethics and Policy Special Interest Groups for the 2022 Association for Information Science and Technology conference. The purpose is to introduce cr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Emerald Publishing
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Digital Transformation and Society |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/DTS-02-2023-0013/full/pdf |
| _version_ | 1797662722211446784 |
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| author | Anthony W. Dunbar |
| author_facet | Anthony W. Dunbar |
| author_sort | Anthony W. Dunbar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Purpose – This paper is an extension of a panel presentation delivered in response to a joint call for panels by the Social Informatics and Information Ethics and Policy Special Interest Groups for the 2022 Association for Information Science and Technology conference. The purpose is to introduce critical race frameworks and tenets as a lens to develop, assess and analyze the social informatics (SI) within information science (IS) research, professional discourse, praxis and pedagogical paradigms. This paper spotlights one of the presentations from that panel, an iteration of Critical Race Theory (CRT) designed specifically for information studies: CRiTical Race information Theory (CRiT). Design/methodology/approach – Just as importantly, using SI as part of the context, the paper also includes a discussion that illustrates research and theory building possibilities as both counter and complement to the technocratic advances that permeate society at every level (macro, mezzo and micro), which can also be reasonably framed as the information industrial complex. Thus, CRiT joins other forms of critical discourse and praxis grappling with deconstructing, decolonizing, demarginalizing and demystifying the influence and impact of information technologies. While CRiT has global intentions and implications, this specific discussion has an extensive American focus. Findings – If we consider the rapid pace in which techno-determinism is moving toward the vise grip of techno-fatalism controlled by frameworks generated from the information industrial complex, we can reasonably consider that humanity on a global basis is living within a meta-large technocratic crisis moment. This crisis moment is both acute and chronic. That is, the technocratic crisis is continuously moving quickly while simultaneously worsening over an extended period of time with no remedies and few responses to substantively address the crisis. Research limitations/implications – Part of the nature of information and data is measurability. Thus, identifying compatible nomenclature connecting the descriptiveness of intersectionality (a seminal CRT tool) as a qualitative research method to the measurability of data connected to quantitative research, a mixed method approach moves from possible to plausible. Additionally, within IS, there are often opportunities to measure human engagement, such as social media content, search engine use, assessing practices of categorizations, and multiple forms of surveillance data as a short list. Hence, the descriptiveness of intersectional qualitative research “mixed” with the measurability of quantitative research within information settings implies exponential methodological possibilities. Practical implications – CRiT is multilayered, on the one hand, with the intention of being a discipline-specific, information-specific form of CRT. On the other hand, CRiT theory building is interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary based on information as omnipresent phenomena. An ongoing challenge for CRiT theory building is identifying and working within a balance between, practitioners who typically throw anything and everything at practical problems, while scholars often slice problems into such small segments that practical understanding is severely limited. Embracing and integrating the dynamic interplay between developing ideas and using them is the key to evolving CRiT within the social sciences. Social implications – There is plenty of room as well as a need for additional narrative discussing or challenging the use or appropriation of information from a technocratic approach, a counter to the information industrial complex. Originality/value – CRiT is emerging and cutting edge in discussion that addresses the technocratic determinism found in most scholarly discourses. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T19:04:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-47f2b4a9ea7e43bbb3f15ced1a69217f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2755-0761 2755-077X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T19:04:16Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | Emerald Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Digital Transformation and Society |
| spelling | doaj.art-47f2b4a9ea7e43bbb3f15ced1a69217f2023-10-10T10:05:09ZengEmerald PublishingDigital Transformation and Society2755-07612755-077X2023-10-012435637510.1108/DTS-02-2023-0013Every information context is a CRiTical Race information Theory opportunity: informatic considerations for the information industrial complexAnthony W. Dunbar0School of Information Studies, Dominican University, River Forest, Illinois, USAPurpose – This paper is an extension of a panel presentation delivered in response to a joint call for panels by the Social Informatics and Information Ethics and Policy Special Interest Groups for the 2022 Association for Information Science and Technology conference. The purpose is to introduce critical race frameworks and tenets as a lens to develop, assess and analyze the social informatics (SI) within information science (IS) research, professional discourse, praxis and pedagogical paradigms. This paper spotlights one of the presentations from that panel, an iteration of Critical Race Theory (CRT) designed specifically for information studies: CRiTical Race information Theory (CRiT). Design/methodology/approach – Just as importantly, using SI as part of the context, the paper also includes a discussion that illustrates research and theory building possibilities as both counter and complement to the technocratic advances that permeate society at every level (macro, mezzo and micro), which can also be reasonably framed as the information industrial complex. Thus, CRiT joins other forms of critical discourse and praxis grappling with deconstructing, decolonizing, demarginalizing and demystifying the influence and impact of information technologies. While CRiT has global intentions and implications, this specific discussion has an extensive American focus. Findings – If we consider the rapid pace in which techno-determinism is moving toward the vise grip of techno-fatalism controlled by frameworks generated from the information industrial complex, we can reasonably consider that humanity on a global basis is living within a meta-large technocratic crisis moment. This crisis moment is both acute and chronic. That is, the technocratic crisis is continuously moving quickly while simultaneously worsening over an extended period of time with no remedies and few responses to substantively address the crisis. Research limitations/implications – Part of the nature of information and data is measurability. Thus, identifying compatible nomenclature connecting the descriptiveness of intersectionality (a seminal CRT tool) as a qualitative research method to the measurability of data connected to quantitative research, a mixed method approach moves from possible to plausible. Additionally, within IS, there are often opportunities to measure human engagement, such as social media content, search engine use, assessing practices of categorizations, and multiple forms of surveillance data as a short list. Hence, the descriptiveness of intersectional qualitative research “mixed” with the measurability of quantitative research within information settings implies exponential methodological possibilities. Practical implications – CRiT is multilayered, on the one hand, with the intention of being a discipline-specific, information-specific form of CRT. On the other hand, CRiT theory building is interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary based on information as omnipresent phenomena. An ongoing challenge for CRiT theory building is identifying and working within a balance between, practitioners who typically throw anything and everything at practical problems, while scholars often slice problems into such small segments that practical understanding is severely limited. Embracing and integrating the dynamic interplay between developing ideas and using them is the key to evolving CRiT within the social sciences. Social implications – There is plenty of room as well as a need for additional narrative discussing or challenging the use or appropriation of information from a technocratic approach, a counter to the information industrial complex. Originality/value – CRiT is emerging and cutting edge in discussion that addresses the technocratic determinism found in most scholarly discourses.https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/DTS-02-2023-0013/full/pdfCritical race theorySocial informaticsCritical mixed-methods researchCRiTical Race information TheoryInformation industrial complexTechnocratic determinism |
| spellingShingle | Anthony W. Dunbar Every information context is a CRiTical Race information Theory opportunity: informatic considerations for the information industrial complex Digital Transformation and Society Critical race theory Social informatics Critical mixed-methods research CRiTical Race information Theory Information industrial complex Technocratic determinism |
| title | Every information context is a CRiTical Race information Theory opportunity: informatic considerations for the information industrial complex |
| title_full | Every information context is a CRiTical Race information Theory opportunity: informatic considerations for the information industrial complex |
| title_fullStr | Every information context is a CRiTical Race information Theory opportunity: informatic considerations for the information industrial complex |
| title_full_unstemmed | Every information context is a CRiTical Race information Theory opportunity: informatic considerations for the information industrial complex |
| title_short | Every information context is a CRiTical Race information Theory opportunity: informatic considerations for the information industrial complex |
| title_sort | every information context is a critical race information theory opportunity informatic considerations for the information industrial complex |
| topic | Critical race theory Social informatics Critical mixed-methods research CRiTical Race information Theory Information industrial complex Technocratic determinism |
| url | https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/DTS-02-2023-0013/full/pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT anthonywdunbar everyinformationcontextisacriticalraceinformationtheoryopportunityinformaticconsiderationsfortheinformationindustrialcomplex |