Autonomy, Order, and Infrastructuring: A Study on the Appropriation of Digital Technology Systems in Oaxaca

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The purpose of this project is to consider how expressions of autonomy, and accompanying security practices, are affected by the introduction of digital technologies. In centring autonomy as an organising principle, this project explores how digital technologies are appropriated and adapted by networks of actors, and how these networks articulate their values into material social orders. RESEARCH QUESTIONS: 1) How have articulations of autonomy in Oaxaca been affected by the introduction of digital technologies?2) How do ideas of security inform the development of digital technologies in these autonomous spaces?3) What do these processes of digital development reveal about how collaborative forms of social order are negotiated and constructed within autonomous communities?APPROACH: To address these questions, this project comprises a two-part process. First, a remote fieldwork study, consisting of a literature scoping study to identify research gaps, and a subsequent qualitative document analysis using resources gathered via relevant web pages. These materials are analysed through a qualitative reflexive thematic approach. This portion of the project serves as a mechanism to collect data and gather hypotheses, rigorously grounding my project and informing qualitative interviews in the field. This study then moves into on-the-ground fieldwork, consisting of a series of interviews with NGO communities in Oaxaca, informed by wider contextual observation. Again, these interviews are analysed through a qualitative reflexive thematic approach.NOVEL CONTRIBUTION: This study explicitly grounds itself in autonomous organisational settings. These settings often challenge conventional understandings of technological design and implementation. This study provides qualitative insights into practical technological appropriation in non-western contexts, observing the conditions that shape real-world socio-technical infrastructures and orderings. Within the EPSRC Research Areas, this work contributes findings towards the fields of Human communication in ICT, and Human-computer interaction. From a strategic perspective, this research provides insights into alternative mechanisms of technological design and use, which might both inform and challenge existing visions for digital futures.