The oppositional affordances of data activism

Milioni, Dimitra L.; Papa, Venetia

doi:10.1177/1329878x221074795

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 40 publications

(55 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The integration of the online groups into the daily routines of food delivery workers represents a form of subversion, from below , of the values encoded by companies in their technology. Following Santos et al (2021), we could call this set of affordances ‘subversive affordances’, or ‘oppositional’ affordances (Milioni and Papa, 2022). However, while in the case analysed by Santos et al (2021) the designers of Telegram have inserted in the app – by default – a ‘subversive’ affordance 7 , in our case, the couriers enact the affordances of the instant messaging apps in ‘subversive’ ways, with the aim of expanding the set of actions made possible by the affordances provided by food delivery apps by default.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Cooperative affordances: How instant messaging apps afford learning, resistance and solidarity among food delivery workers

Bonini

Treré

et al. 2023

Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Med

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper aims to understand the practices and meanings associated with the creation and use of private chat groups on instant messaging services such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger and WeChat that are accessible only to platform workers of online food delivery services. We draw on participant observation in five countries (Italy, Spain, Mexico, China, and India), in-depth interviews with 68 food delivery couriers and digital ethnography ( Pink et al., 2015 ) within dozens of online private chat groups of food delivery workers. Our fieldwork shows that private chat groups are extremely relevant in the daily work of delivery workers and are appropriated to restore forms of mutualism not afforded by the food delivery apps. Following Costa (2018) and her concept of affordances- in-practice, we describe how the practice of online private chat groups created by platform workers affords: (1) the emergence of communities of practice; (2) resistance and contempt; (3) mutualism and solidarity. We argue that these workers ‘enact’ the affordances of instant messaging apps, to supplement – from below – the affordances of food delivery apps that were denied or ignored by food delivery companies. We argue that these affordances constitute cooperative affordances. This concept captures the cooperative nature of peer-to-peer communication that occurs within the informal online chat groups created by the workers themselves. Finally, this article contributes to affordance theory by highlighting how affordances are not immanent properties of artifacts, or ‘invariants’, as argued by Gibson (1979) , but can be ‘enacted’ by specific users, like food delivery workers, within specific social and cultural contexts.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(2021), we could call this set of affordances "subversive affordances", or "oppositional" affordances (Milioni and Papa 2022). However, while in the case analysed by Santos et al…”

Section: Cooperative Affordancesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cooperative affordances: How instant messaging apps afford learning, resistance and solidarity among food delivery workers

Bonini

Treré

et al. 2023

Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Med

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This includes web-based resources of various formats, such as websites, short videos, interactive tools, online courses and many others, that aim to raise awareness and critically educate about datafication. Although this format constitutes one of the longest-standing and most established approaches to critical data education, such resources have been examined in very few studies so far (e.g., Milioni and Papa 2019;Sander 2020a;Sander 2020b;Alegre 2021). A comprehensive overview of such resources and research into their goals, educational strategies, and their creators' considerations are lacking.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hence, the datafication of our societies amplifies asymmetric power relations between those who are being monitored and profiled, and those who have access to data governance systems (Dencik et al, 2022). Thus, it has been argued that datafication poses "severe challenges for democracy" (Hintz et al, 2022, p. 81) and limits citizens' agency (Milioni and Papa, 2019;Dencik et al, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Critical datafication literacy – a framework for educating about datafication

Sander

2023

ILS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose In light of a need for more critical education about datafication, this paper aims to develop a framework for critical datafication literacy that is grounded in theoretical and empirical research. The framework draws upon existing critical data literacies, an in-depth analysis of three well-established educational approaches – media literacy, the German “(politische) Bildung” and Freirean “critical pedagogy” – and empirical analyses of online educational resources about datafication. Design/methodology/approach The study interconnects theoretical analyses with an empirical mixed methods investigation that includes expert interviews with creators of online educational resources about datafication and a qualitative survey with educators interested in teaching about data technologies. Findings The research identified novel findings on the goals of resource creators and educators, such as a focus on empowering and emancipatory approaches, fostering systemic understanding of datafication and encouraging collective action. Such perspectives are rare in existing critical data literacy conceptualisations but show resemblance to traditional education scholarship. This highlights how much can be learnt from practitioners and from these more established educational approaches. Based on these findings, a framework for critical datafication literacy is suggested that aims for systemic understanding of datafication, encouraging critical thinking and enabling learners to make enlightened choices and take different forms of action. Originality/value The study is unique in its interconnection of theoretical and empirical research, and it advances previous research by suggesting a grounded framework for critical datafication literacy.

show abstract