This framework aims to help technologists, policymakers, and interested citizens critically evaluate the equity dimensions of emerging technological innovation. We are awash in technological “solutionism”—the idea that a technical fix can solve myriad public problems—with scant attention to how social and political structures shape emerging technologies including in their design and use, which influences their impact. Further, there is little understanding of the challenges and consequences of introducing new technologies into existing social systems, even (or perhaps especially) when they have humanitarian purposes. The questions offered in this framework are designed to prompt reflection and further research, and may be best deployed in a group brainstorming setting so that participants can question and challenge one another. It may be particularly useful for budding engineers, scientists, and policymakers who may be otherwise inclined to think simplistically about the relationships between technology, political economy, and society.
Cite as
Shobita Parthasarathy, "Exploratory Framework for Equity in Innovation", contributed by Shobita Parthasarathy, Engaging Science, Technology, and Society (ESTS) Journal, STS Infrastructures, Platform for Experimental Collaborative Ethnography, last modified 1 January 2024, accessed 2 May 2024. https://stsinfrastructures.org/content/exploratory-framework-equity-innovation
Critical Commentary
This artefact accompanies the journal article by Shobita Parthasarathy "A Tale of Two Perspectives on Innovation and Global Equity" published by Engaging Science, Technology and Society (ESTS).
This framework aims to help technologists, policymakers, and interested citizens critically evaluate the equity dimensions of emerging technological innovation. We are awash in technological “solutionism”—the idea that a technical fix can solve myriad public problems—with scant attention to how social and political structures shape emerging technologies including in their design and use, which influences their impact. Further, there is little understanding of the challenges and consequences of introducing new technologies into existing social systems, even (or perhaps especially) when they have humanitarian purposes. The questions offered in this framework are designed to prompt reflection and further research, and may be best deployed in a group brainstorming setting so that participants can question and challenge one another. It may be particularly useful for budding engineers, scientists, and policymakers who may be otherwise inclined to think simplistically about the relationships between technology, political economy, and society.