Dear colleagues,
<br>
<br>together with Christian Katzenbach I am organizing a workshop on the role of future imaginaries in the making and governing of digital technology.
<br>It will take place on 27 April 2018 at the Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society in Berlin.
<br>
<br>We are happy that Sally Wyatt (Maastricht University) will hold a keynote. See further details of the workshop below and in the attachment.
<br>
<br>If you'd like to participate in the workshop, please send an english language abstract (300-500 words) until 2 March 2018.
<br>We encourage you to also submit work-in-progress.
<br>
<br>Please contact me off-list if you have further questions!
<br>
<br>We're looking forward to your contributions!
<br>
<br>Thanks! Best, Astrid
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br> “We are on a mission”. Exploring the role of future imaginaries in
<br> the making and governing of digital technology
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>Call for Abstracts
<br>
<br>Deadline: 02.03.2018
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>Workshop
<br>
<br>Friday, 27 April 2018
<br>
<br>Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society
<br>
<br>Französische Straße 9,
<br>
<br>10117 Berlin, Germany
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>Keynote: Sally Wyatt (Maastricht University)
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>“We are on a mission to build a more open, accessible, and fair
<br>financial future, one piece of software at a time” promises the software
<br>platform Blockchain. “Imagine if everyone could get around easily and
<br>safely, without tired, drunk or distracted driving” envisions the
<br>self-driving car company Waymo(a subsidiary of Google's parent company,
<br>Alphabet Inc.). “The Regulation is an essential step to strengthen
<br>citizens' fundamental rights in the digital age and facilitate business
<br>by simplifying rules for companies in the Digital Single Market” claims
<br>the European Commissionwith regard to the General Data Protection
<br>Regulation.
<br>
<br>
<br>These examples show how imaginaries of future societies are enacted to
<br>promote digital innovations or legitimate certain modes of internet
<br>governance. They illustrate how software providers, tech companies and
<br>legislators dig into the rich pool of cultural norms, visions and values
<br>to support (or question) digital tools, rules and regulations. Future
<br>prospects seem to be central for making decisions in the present.
<br>
<br>What role do future imaginaries perform in the making and governing of
<br>present digital technology? How are they mobilised to push or oppose
<br>digital innovations such as artificial intelligence, the internet of
<br>things, blockchain technology or open source/open data projects? How are
<br>prospective imaginaries shaped in policy discourses and governance
<br>practices regarding networked technology and global data flows? What
<br>significance do European specificities have in global technology
<br>imaginations? Can different mechanisms be identified in mainstream
<br>discourses and counter-narratives? What happens if future scenarios are
<br>contested and digital promises become contradictory?
<br>
<br>
<br>Themes of the Workshop
<br>
<br>These are central questions to be discussed in our workshop. We welcome
<br>theoretical, methodological and empirical contributions that help us
<br>understand how the future is mobilized to make and govern digital
<br>technology in the present.
<br>
<br>The workshop is organized around three central themes:
<br>
<br>
<br> 1.
<br>
<br> Theories and concepts to analytically grasp future visions and their
<br> roles in the making and governance of digital technology
<br>
<br> 2.
<br>
<br> Methods and tools to analyze the nexus between future imaginations
<br> and their functions in and impact on policy-making and technology
<br> development
<br>
<br> 3.
<br>
<br> Empirical research and case studies on future imaginaries and their
<br> roles in the making and governing of present digital technology
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>Submission
<br>
<br>We welcome theoretical, methodological and empirical contributions from
<br>various disciplines that speak to the themes of the workshop. Please
<br>send an english language 300–500 word abstract including titlethat
<br>describes your contribution to the workshop. We encourage you to submit
<br>work-in-progress.
<br>
<br>
<br>Abstracts are submitted via e-mail to astrid.mager@oeaw.ac.at
<br>before 2 March 2018. We will send out
<br>notifications on 13 March 2018.
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>Organisers
<br>
<br>
<br>Astrid Mager
<br>
<br>Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA), Austrian Academy of Sciences
<br>
<br>astrid.mager@oeaw.ac.at
<br>
<br>
<br>Christian Katzenbach
<br>
<br>Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society
<br>
<br>katzenbach@hiig.de
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>--
<br>Dr. Astrid Mager
<br>
<br>Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA)
<br>Austrian Academy of Sciences
<br>NEW ADDRESS: Apostelgasse 23, A-1030 Vienna
<br>astrid.mager@oeaw.ac.at
<br>
<br>Tel.: +43 (0)1 515 81-6598
<br>Fax: (+43-1-) 51581-6570
<br>
<br>http://www.oeaw.ac.at/ita/mager
<br>http://www.astridmager.net
<br>
<br>[demime 1.01d removed an attachment of type application/pdf which had a name of Workshop_ We are on a mission. Exploring the role of future imaginaries in the making and governing of digital technology.pdf]
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