The decolonial turn in data and technology research: what is at stake and where is it heading?
By Nick Couldry, Ulises A. Mejias. 2021
ABSTRACT This article traces the emergence of a ‘decolonial turn’ in critical technology and data studies that analyzes the transformation of society through data extraction for profit. First, we offer a genealogy of concepts over the last decade from different fields related to this decolonial turn, including work that explores the connection between racism and data. Second, we discuss the commonalities and differences between these approaches and our own proposal, the data colonialism thesis (Couldry & Mejias, 2018, 2019) to clarify how, together, they provide a distinctive take on data and technology. Third, we summarize the most important advantages of the decolonial turn as a transhistorical tool to understand the continuities between colonialism and capitalism. Finally, some wider implications of a decolonial approach to data are explored, and broad theoretical and practical opportunities for resistance are identified.
Subfields: AI Ethics, Fairness & Society, Social Sciences & Humanities
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Citations in the corpus
- Evaluating the Social Impact of Generative AI Systems in Systems and Society (2023, background): “Mitigation and Interventions Mitigations should be cognizant of preserving irreducible differences among cultures [73] and practicing value sensitive design [84], including by focusing on system components such as data extraction and use [62].”