Link to the article: Postcolonial Computing: A Lens on Design and Development
Research on broadening the participation in computing focuses mainly on culturally relevant teaching but rarely addresses the design and development of our tools. Postcolonial computing is a critical perspective asking questions about how technologies mirror the biases of humans that make or interact with them (Irani, Vertesi, Dourish, Philip, & Grinter, 2010). The authors consider it a mode of investigation in the process of design and analysis to expand the conversation around cross-cultural technology (Irani et al., 2010). The authors suggest four critical shifts in their HCI4D (Human-Computer Interaction for Development) approach that broaden the understandings of power, history, identity, and epistemologies. They present these fundamental shifts via cases of biases in technological design and development. Then, they suggest alternate formulations of design work, namely, engagement, articulation, and translation (Irani et al., 2010).
Some key points in the article that resonates well with my inquiry: 1- “Understanding the diverse forms design practice and contextual reasons for that diversity” (p.1319); 2- “embracing heterogeneity in design, rather than attempting to control or eliminate it” (p. 1319); 3- “staging of encounters amongst various stakeholders” (p.1319 ) rather than formulating the design as needs and outcomes.; 4- and recognizing that we aren’t designing “for static, nationally-bound cultures, but instead as interventions both in conversation with and transformative of existing cultural practices” (p. 1314). The key message I am taking from this article to my discussion of tools is that we need to dismantle the binary between technology and culture in the design and development process and investigate the intersections between them. Also, contexts and cultures need to be the starting point in design and development, rather than supplements to the initial model.
Few acronyms used in the article that haven’t been explained to the audience:- UCD (User-centered design), OLPC (One Laptop per Child), and ICT4D (Information and Communication Technology for Development).
Reference:
- Irani, L., Vertesi, J., Dourish, P., Philip, K., & Grinter, R. (2010). Postcolonial computing: A lens on design and development. Paper presented at the 1311-1320. https://doi.org/10.1145/1753326.1753522