Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Technopolitics (The Challenge of Digital Media to Democracy in Europe: an engaged approach)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2020-07-01 do 2022-06-30
Based on the engaged theory and reserach and applying a cross-disciplinary method, the project investigate the influence exercised by digital technologies on citizens and politics and develop a theoretical scheme that include good practices for democratisation to condition policymaking processes. It also transfer new knowledge of international impact to the host institution, the University of Seville, the shareholders of the project and the society.
The project has fully achieved its objectives: 1) To investigate the influence of digital media technologies in the citizen and political ecosystem; 2) To develop a theoretical framework including the Good Practices for democratization which can oriented the policy-making processes; 3) To transfer new knowledge of international impact to the host institution and the society; 4) To reinforce my career gaining a stable position in the university after the two-year training through-research project, which is the main goal of my Personal Career Development Plan.
The research conducted in the framework of the ‘Technopolitics’ project has focused on specifying the conformation of this new subject of study and epistemic category as a relevant contribution to both social movement theory, in particular, and social and communication sciences, in general. This has been achieved by studying the urban civic cybercultures emerging in the ‘South’ - in both the European Union, with special emphasis on Portugal and Spain, and Latin America, especially Brazil - over the past decade.
The action, therefore, offers a toolkit to policymaking, ascertainig the imporance of the civic engagement as a strategic element to be implemented against the background of the current processes in Social Media which are eroding the democratic awarenness in our societies.
These researched experiences were discussed in different international citizen labs, and open academic seminars were the project was selected as a panel. The engagement of the audience in the discussions is a fundamental contribution to the materials and publications resulted of the project.
Related to the policymaking, the Engaged approach and the good practices toolkit for democratization resulting from the action constitutes the International Panel of the Working Group on Citizen Science of the Spanish Ministry of Universities, under my coordination.
The host institution has signed agreements with the shareholders institutions of the network Technopolitics in Portugal and Brazil, to the development of the joint supervision of PhD programs, research and theses related in Technopolitics: A PhD theses has been defended (Cum Laude) in 2022 (Dr Eduardo Baldiserra de Carvalho Salles, University of Sevilla, Spain and PUCRS, Brazil). Three PhD and one MA projects are being developed in the University of Coimbra (Portugal) and the University Pablo de Olavide (Sevilla, Spain) respectively, under my conduction. The three related doctoral projects have obtained funds and support of the Brazilian, Spanish and Portuguese government agencies for Science and Technology.
The obtention of my official certificate as Professor (Profesor Contratado Doctor) has allowed me to gain a permanent position as Lecturer of Ciberculture; Arts, Science and Technology and Science and Society. Three mandatory subjects of the host institution. The theoretical framework resulted of the action is the base of the programs and literature of these subjects, including the outputs and results delivered in the action as transversal content.
The results of the action have engaged more than a hundred researchers, students, makers and co-creators of different countries, publishing in four languages (English, French, Spanish and Portuguese). This material constitutes the initial research track record of the network Technopolitics.
According to the Ethics and open data requirements, the RRI principles and the action Data Management Plan, an intense online activity of the project has been developed through corporate Social Media and the official channels of the universities engaged. Since the beginning of the project was created a monthly space of debate and opinion in the independent journal and radio (podcast) on line El Salto, under the tag Tecnopolítica (Technopolitics), linking the project topic with outstanding trending international issues.
As MSCA researcher I have participated in the latest editions (from 2020 to 2022) of the European Night of the Researchers and MSCA activities organized by the host institution and the Spanish Agency for Science and Technology (NCPs) and also as an associate member of the MSCA Alumni Association.