Our data futures

We invite scholars to discuss how the capacities of data technology might be harnessed to promote social justice, new forms of agency, political participation, and collective action
Indrek Ibrus
Ruckenstein Minna
30 Aug 2017
10:30 - 16:00 // DAY 1: Tallinn

Our data futures

in room M-226, Tallinn University

Datafication, referring to the conversion of life into digital data, generates new societal opportunities alongside power asymmetries. Initiatives, such as MyData, Open mHealth, MIDATA.coop, Hub of All Things, and Open Humans take datafication as a starting point, but try to steer data flows and data practices in a societally more sustainable direction. These initiatives address asymmetries in terms of data usage and distribution, or inadequacies of existing ethical and regulatory frameworks; they push for the rearticulation of concepts such as participation, sharing, governance, or public good.

This academic workshop invites scholars, participating in and studying such data-driven initiatives, to discuss how the capacities of data technology might be harnessed to promote social justice, new forms of agency, political participation, and collective action. We are also interested in research on data activism and how uses of data challenge accepted norms, assumptions and ideological projects. The aim is to promote debate on the ways forms of data are thought to guide, or shape us as we move into data futures, and whether the data initiatives succeed in promoting new communities of producers and users of data.

Information & submission guidelines

The workshop takes place on Wednesday, 30.8.2017 at Tallinn University (room M-226). Practical details on the workshop and conference registration are available here.

The workshop will be kept small to ensure fruitful interactions, and participation is therefore by default limited to presenters and co-authors. We can however accommodate a few extra participants, if you are interested please send us an e-mail.

The abstract deadline has passed. Notifications have been sent. Please send your abstract in PDF format to academic-ourdata@mydata.org by 2 May 2017. The document should include a title and the author name(s). The abstract body text should not be longer than 300 words. Decisions on accepted abstracts will be communicated by 16 May 2017. The accepted abstracts will be made available in advance of the workshop via the workshop webpage. Full papers are not expected.

Workshop organizers

Minna Ruckenstein, University of Helsinki
Indrek Ibrus, Tallinn University
Tuukka Lehtiniemi, Helsinki Institute for Information Technology

In case of questions, contact us at academic-ourdata@mydata.org

General information on the academic workshops of the conference can be found here.

List of presenters

Helena Haapio, Thomas D. Barton, James Hazard & Stefania Passera: Smart at the Back, Simple at the Front: Co-Creating Contracts, Consents and Policies that Work

Mirko Tobias Schäfer & Aline Franzke: Responsible Data Practice for Public Management

Stephen Cory Robinson: Empowering Financial Control of Personal Data:
 The Argument for Treating Personal Data and Anonymity as Valuable Goods

Maria Macocinschi: Consumer Sovereignty in Personal Data and Digital Identities: From Property Rhetoric to Personal Information Management Systems

Michele Loi: What can political philosophy contribute to our data futures?

Marina Shilina & Alexandra Shilina: Data Journalism Strategies in Russia: Challenges for Civil Society

Katharina Höne, Jovan Kurbalija, Barbara Rosen Jacobson: Big data for diplomacy: Mapping opportunities, limitations, and challenges

Sylvia Fredrikson: Data literacy in action

Frances Burns & Elizabeth Nelson: Engaging the experts: How can the general public be empowered in the use of their data for research? A regional perspective from Northern Ireland

Minna Saariketo: Insights to lives in code-based infrastructures: interpretations of data on one’s own ICT use

Tuukka Lehtiniemi & Jesse Haapoja: “Make it happen, make it right”: Constructing new data subjectivities for citizens