When Sociotechnical Imaginaries Become True: Digital Transition of Public Services and Inequalities during the Pandemic

0578460 - SOÚ 2024 RIV CH eng J - Journal Article
Cibin, Roberto
When Sociotechnical Imaginaries Become True: Digital Transition of Public Services and Inequalities during the Pandemic.
Societies. Roč. 13, č. 10 (2023), č. článku 220. E-ISSN 2075-4698
EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 101015990 - RESISTIRE
Source of funding: R - Framework programmes of European Commission
Keywords : imaginaries * inequalities * digital * transition * pandemic * divide
OECD category: Sociology
Method of publishing: Open access
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/13/10/220

As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many public institutions in Europe designed policies that increased the use of ICTs with the public to provide or collect information, offer support, and perform educational activities. This process was in line with a sociotechnical imaginary where people’s lives are increasingly “smart” and enhanced through digital innovation. We provide an analysis of the implications of this imaginary during the pandemic for people belonging to vulnerable categories, to understand how these actors are considered in the digital transition process at the European level. This analysis is based on qualitative data collected in 30 European countries in the frame of an EU project aimed at understanding how COVID-19-related public policies shaped social inequalities. Building on the intersection between gender studies, science and technology studies, and media studies, this analysis aims to contribute to a more inequality-aware policy reflection on the digital transition.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0347454