It is clear that digital technology has made its place in the world and for better or worse, it’s here to stay. While technological advances such as cellphones, laptops, the World Wide Web, MP3 players, and tablets have supported the Western’s world infatuation with convenience. The rise of social media mediums such as You Tube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, has pushed, and often challenged, our understanding of communication and accessibility. Granted, these are invaluable innovations as they improve the quality of life for human being; however, they don’t come without cost. As we reflect on the days of scheduling visits with the local librarian, using the card catalogue and microfiche, the notion of research, for all disciplines, as changed considerably.
As someone who grew up scheduling appointments with the librarian, using the card catalogue and microfiche, I’ve eagerly embraced being able to log on to my local library and search away in the comforts of my home. However, when I come across an article of interest that has yet to be added to the electronic database, or my searches are not producing the results that I expect, I soon remember that there is still value in visiting the library and talking to the librarian. Nonetheless, this is still not my first thought and even me, the self-proclaimed “analogue girl in a digital world”, has become reliant on digital technology.
Through this course I’ve enhanced my knowledge of websites, blogs, podcast and infographics while being introduced to digital archives, timelines, mapping and 3D printing. As a sociologist, I never considered the notion of preserving my work/research. It wasn’t until taking this course and engaging with historians that this became a thought. So as I consider my research interest, I am left wondering what is digital sociology? How does it compare/contrast to public sociology? What does it look like for me? How do I insert myself in this new paradigm? And how will it impact my research and commitment to activism both in the short and long term?
When considering public sociology, the focus is often placed on conducting interviews via radio and television, publishing in non-academic text (i.e. Op-Eds and blogs), and having a website and social media presence and hosting podcast. These more traditional forms are often the go-to mediums for the typically “public sociologist”. However, I am looking to broadening this scope by engaging with those mediums previously mentioned but also by incorporating digital archives, timelines, mapping and interactive/3D scales to strengthen my arguments and draw parallels to highlight social injustice in a variety of capacities.
Given my interest in the intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality and how these constructs impact the everyday lived experience, having tools that could offer assistance and support to improve everyday living would be invaluable. Imagine someone visiting my website and being able to see digitally the proximity of grocery stores, laundromats, parks, and health care clinics within specific neighborhoods. What if you were able to actually see a pap smear or mammogram being performed, or get a sense of what giving birth or having an abortion really consist of? Not simply some romanticized rendition that plays out in film?
While it may seem a bit over the top, these are advances that could push the boundaries of what preventive care could look like. Fear often impedes people from taking preventive measures in their life but these virtual experiences could be helpful in managing that fear. Or what if the web-based simulated game, “Spent”, which is designed to help viewer critically engage with poverty, economic security and sustainability, became a virtual experience where you were able to see the choices you make and how they impact both individual and collective experiences. Maybe it could inspire others to invest in impoverished communities when you realize that grocery stores, laundromats or parks are not accessible and require transportation.
The reality is that trying to make sociology digital is no easy fete but one worth experimenting with. People’s perspective is shaped by their experiences but if one lacks experience for whatever reason, they can become stagnant and limited in their scope. When thinking of social justice, reform and resistance, experience becomes the biggest teacher. Maybe if people knew what it felt like to be placed in solitary conferment; or to be poor and have to choose between paying for rent, health insurance, or child care; or seeing what it’s like to go to schools with metal protectors and outdated books, there might more compassion in the word and the need for equity might actually become a real priority.
