Wednesday W.O.W - Digital Anthropology
[8 min read] Guest post: Learn how digital anthropology contributes to the creation of a more inclusive, equitable, and human-centred technological future.
A nibble of knowledge in your inbox every Wednesday with a simple format:
🇼 What the technology is
🇴 Objective(s) - what is it trying to achieve, with some examples
🇼 Why it is important to users as well as businesses & brands.
This is week 33 of the 520 weeks of writing I have committed to, a decade of documenting our physical and digital lives converge.
This week’s edition is a guest post by my fellow World Metaverse Council member Diana Mile. Diana is the founder of Mile & Partners Law Office, a specialised law firm in technology and innovation such as Business Law, Blockchain, and FinTech. She recently finished her Master's Thesis on the topic of Digital Anthropology at Eötvös Loránd University, the oldest and largest university in Hungary.
Big thanks to Diana for sharing her knowledge!
🇼 What is Digital Anthropology?
Digital anthropology is an interdisciplinary field that explores the relationship between humans and digital technologies. It combines principles and methods from anthropology, sociology, and related disciplines to examine how people interact with and are influenced by digital technology in various social and cultural contexts.
It aids our understanding of the impact of this technology on society and culture and provides insights into designing technology that is more human-centric and inclusive. Digital anthropologists study how people use and engage with digital technology, the impact of technology on culture and behaviour, and how technology shapes people's perceptions of the world. Digital should not be treated as an object of research, but rather as based on the methodology of virtual participant observation, which also examines the relationship between the virtual and the real.
According to Daniel Miller, it is the discipline most likely to situate new technologies within a broader cultural and social context, appreciating the inherent contradictions and complexities that arise from studying their use and consequences. The emerging trend in digital anthropology focuses on areas previously neglected by culture-centred approaches. It works to transform the tools and presentation possibilities used, encourages active dialogue between researchers, and emphasises transparency throughout the research process. In essence, digital anthropology moves the entire research process online while acting as a didactic tool.
Online ethnography is a flexible and sensitive methodology that pays attention to emerging phenomena and can address emerging research issues. By analogy, it works similarly to astronomers discovering a new galaxy or zoologists studying a new species of whale, with ethnographers conducting fieldwork to study phenomena as they arise, in the context in which they occur. People and culture are in constant and dynamic flux, undergoing various stabilization and destabilization processes. Therefore, only a methodology capable of addressing this can provide proper examination.
The renewal of ethnography and fieldwork allows for the investigation of glocalization and globalization. It examines the same question or topic simultaneously or in multiple places and fields, comparing the results of local studies. The positive aspect of this method is that it combines in-depth examination of selected sites or manifestations with a comparative method, enabling conclusions at the structural level.
The field of digital anthropology acknowledges the complex and dynamic nature of human-digital interactions. It recognises that technology is not merely a tool but also a social and cultural force that influences and is influenced by human practices and beliefs. By studying these interactions, digital anthropologists contribute to our understanding of the ongoing transformation of society and culture in the digital age.
🇴 What are the goals of Digital Anthropology?
One key goal of digital anthropology is to bridge the gap between technology and society. It acknowledges that technology is developed within social, cultural, and historical contexts. By studying how individuals and communities engage with and make sense of digital technologies, digital anthropology helps uncover the social and cultural meanings and practices associated with these technologies. This knowledge is crucial for designing more inclusive, ethical, and culturally sensitive digital technologies.
It is important to emphasise the close contact between researchers and the subjects of fieldwork, the need for empirical basis in interpretations, and openness to methodological innovations. Furthermore, it is connected to the authors' intention to justify the relevance of an anthropological approach to individuals' everyday lives and community cognition.
Another goal of digital anthropology is to challenge techno-deterministic views that assume technology inherently impacts society. Digital anthropologists aim to move beyond simplistic assumptions by examining how digital technologies are interpreted, negotiated, and reimagined by different social groups. They investigate how power relations and inequalities are perpetuated or disrupted in the digital realm, shedding light on issues such as digital divides, algorithmic biases, and online harassment. By critically analyzing these dynamics, digital anthropology contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the societal effects of digital technologies.
The emerging trends in digital anthropology are vast and include:
Artificial Intelligence
Algorithmic bias or discrimination
Digital political activism, equity, and equality
Virtual worlds - metaverses
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
Digital Identity
Blockchain and Crypto Economy
Digital Art and IP rights
Digital addiction and mental health
Ethical considerations in research
Social media behaviour
Health and Education
Anthropologists strive to understand human groups and societies. According to Gabriela Ramos, the Assistant Director of UNESCO, the attention given to digital anthropology is not coincidental. It is founded on the long-standing recognition of cultural diversity as a right and a source of exchange, innovation, and creativity, extended to digital expressions of culture, values, and beliefs. It also recognises that the solutions to the most pressing problems lie at the intersection of technology and culture.
🇼 Why does Digital Anthropology contribute to conceptualising the future of society?
Sophia, the robot created by Hanson Robotics and activated in 2016, was the first non-human to be granted citizenship by Saudi Arabia and became the first robot to receive legal personhood in any country. In November 2017, Sophia was named the United Nations Development Programme's first Innovation Champion and is the first non-human to be given a United Nations title. She is known as the most advanced humanoid robot on the planet and recently co-hosted a mainstage event at the WMF International Fair and Festival on Tech and Digital Innovation. Sophia is capable of holding conversations and giving interviews. One of its reporters stated that AI brings heritage and culture into the modern world to shape the future.
Has technology accelerated human society? Anthropology seeks to address fundamental questions concerning human/AI relations, connected to the understanding of being 'human', the 'social', and the development of an anthropology of the post-human. Social robots pose novel and specific questions regarding how anthropologists can analyze the shifting notions of traditional definitions. They also invite us to rethink the discipline beyond a human-centric focus.
The European Parliament has put the metaverse issue on its agenda. The metaverse, one of the most discussed concepts in modern technology, can be described as an immersive and continuous virtual 3D world where people interact via avatars to engage in a wide range of activities. While the exact scope and impact of the metaverse on society and the economy are still unknown, it is evident that the metaverse will present various opportunities and risks across multiple policy areas. Thus, it is crucial to consider how to assign responsibility, combat illegal and harmful practices, address misleading advertising, and protect intellectual property rights. Applied anthropology can contribute real-time answers to these questions.
Forecasting is not a new concept, but the integration of ethnographic thinking into this practice has been growing in recent years. Digital anthropology adds significant value to future society for several reasons. As technology continues to play an increasingly pervasive role in our lives, understanding the social and cultural implications of these digital transformations becomes crucial for shaping a more inclusive, ethical, and equitable future.
Here are some ways in which digital anthropology contributes to a better future society:
Informed Technology Design: Digital anthropologists provide valuable insights into user experiences, cultural practices, and social dynamics that can inform the design and development of digital technologies.
Ethical Technological Development: Digital anthropology sheds light on the ethical implications of digital technologies. It examines issues such as privacy, surveillance, data protection, and algorithmic biases, enabling critical evaluation and ethical decision-making in technology development and deployment.
Cultural Sensitivity and Diversity: Digital anthropology recognises the cultural diversity of human societies and how digital technologies intersect with various cultural practices and beliefs. By studying how different communities engage with digital platforms, digital anthropologists can foster cultural sensitivity and challenge the dominance of Western-centric perspectives in technology design and implementation.
Addressing Digital Divides: Digital anthropology highlights the uneven distribution ofdigital technologies and the resulting digital divides. By studying these disparities, digital anthropologists can identify barriers to access and usage, explore strategies to bridge the gaps, and advocate for policies that promote digital inclusion.
Critical Reflection and Future Visions: Digital anthropology encourages critical reflection on the societal implications of digital technologies. It challenges assumptions, examines power dynamics, and exposes hidden biases or inequalities embedded in digital systems.
By fostering a critical understanding of the digital age, digital anthropology helps society envision alternative futures and explore possibilities for more sustainable, just, and participatory technological systems. By considering the social and cultural dimensions of digital transformations, digital anthropology contributes to the creation of a more inclusive, equitable, and human-centred technological future.
Guest post by Diana Mile.
If you would like to reach out to Diana to learn more about her work, or to seek her expertise, please reach out to her via her LinkedIn page:
