Technology, philosophy, and society. We have been primed to think that a capitalist system is capable of giving everyone the compensation they deserve—but we also know that this isn’t always the case, especially for those who may need it the most.
How do we take a closer look at the technologies and the organizations that provide the quality of life we have now? A foundation on the theories that apply to our circumstances is a step in the right direction.
In this episode, Alexander McCaig explores these ideas with Bernd Stahl, author of Information Systems: Critical Perspectives. Bernd is also a Professor of Critical Research in Technology and Director of the Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility at De Montfort University.
The process of emancipating someone may seem like a noble goal. However, it can be difficult to gauge whether or not we are actually doing harm by taking this opportunity on their behalf. For example, one common perspective of companies is that they have the social responsibility to make profits because it would be distributed to the shareholders and trickle down to employees.
Unfortunately, there are plenty of people who do not participate in this success and are not capable of being a part of this economic system. Wealth generation and opportunities to it are vastly different, especially in a capitalist structure.
There are plenty of possible approaches to consider for this problem. Those who are pessimists believe that the system inherently ensures that some people will always be “outside.” As a result, the only true solution would be to implement radical change.
Others believe that information systems can be used to make the economy more inclusive and spread wealth more evenly. With such polarizing views on how the labor system should be structured, it may seem like an impossible task to bring everyone into a discussion where they can give their own benchmarks for what is best.
The magnitude of such a feat is further emphasized when we think of the tech-driven world we live in. Due to our different backgrounds and preferences, Bernd points out that the idea of maximizing individual potential can vary widely from one person to another. The essence of critical theory would be to have a society where people are free to flourish, without other individuals or systems telling them what success is and how it should be achieved.
It’s an extension of our capacity to practice our individual liberties. Sadly, those in power often influence the system to fulfill their vested interests—and a crucial part in making this possible is taking away our ability to self-reflect, or to practice reflexivity.
This is TARTLE’s mission: to give people the avenue to practice critical reflection and self-awareness, bringing back that sense of common responsibility to humanity one step at a time.
In such a tech-driven landscape, the provision of goods and services does not provide a lot of opportunity to interact with other people. Bernd illustrates this by pointing to electronic marketplaces and discussing how straightforward the transaction is.
If this seems like an advantage, we need to dig a little deeper. We are no longer encouraged to think of the human realities behind eBay, Amazon, or other e-commerce platforms. All we need to consider is the availability of the product, estimated shipping time, and the most competitive cost.
As a result, these platforms discourage us from taking more discursive action—all a part of surveillance capitalism efforts by big internet service providers to prevent us from thinking deeper about our purchases. The formula across different systems is similar: structure our work, extract our data, and lead us to buy something that we may or may not need. Regardless, the end result is to influence the general population’s behavior so that they are at an advantage.
“The potential for giving people freedom or reducing their freedom is there in any type of technology, across different types of political systems, even though it may look very different in different systems,” Bernd concluded.
Modern technology draws parallels to a panopticon, where prisoners would be watched around the clock. While the original intention of this set-up was to benefit the prisoner through observation and feedback, the term is now being used as a mechanism of control.
Indeed, when we are under constant surveillance from devices we’ve become so reliant on, it can either have a chilling effect or a normalizing effect. The outcomes are undetermined, but it certainly plays a crucial role in altering human behavior. Transparency in information systems will be important in bringing back the power, and the capacity to speak, to the people.
When asked about his parting words, Bernd encouraged listeners to think of humanity as an ecosystem: the reality that we live in a society of other individuals and other actors, with unique needs and desires. It’s a fragile ecosystem, and one that we should try and balance in our capacity, as stewards of the earth and of each other.
Businesses and information systems were previously thought to be all about improving efficiencies and maximizing productivity. However, we’ve moved far beyond such a profit-driven perspective; now, Bernd hopes we remember that technology is always socio-technical, with human beings working alongside modern devices to improve the living circumstances of their fellow human beings.
It is this sense of urgency to uplift the living conditions for humans across the board that encouraged us to develop TARTLE. Data-driven measures are the key to rebuilding the self-awareness we’ve lost in the great tech race for the boldest, biggest, and flashiest devices. The power is back in your hands.
What’s your data worth?
A Critique of Capitalism With Author, Professor, and Director, Bernd Stahl by TARTLE is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
