New Books in Critical Theory

Mirca Madianou, "Technocolonialism: When Technology for Good is Harmful" (Polity, 2024)

15 snips
Feb 1, 2025
Mirca Madianou, a Professor at Goldsmiths, University of London, explores the concept of technocolonialism in her latest insights. She highlights how AI and big data, though intended for humanitarian aid, can reinforce power imbalances and colonial legacies. The discussion dives into the dangers of biometric technologies, the pitfalls of digital feedback in aid, and the implications of chatbots in diverse communities. Madianou calls for a localized approach to humanitarian efforts, emphasizing resistance and the need for genuine accountability.
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INSIGHT

Defining Technocolonialism

  • Technocolonialism describes how digital humanitarian tools can worsen existing global power imbalances.
  • It highlights how these tools, combined with aid structures, reinforce colonial legacies and create new forms of violence.
INSIGHT

Logics Driving Digital Humanitarian Tools

  • Five key logics drive digital technology adoption in humanitarian work: accountability, audit, capitalism, solutionism, and securitization.
  • A sixth logic, resistance, is crucial for understanding how these logics are challenged.
ANECDOTE

Biometrics in Humanitarian Settings

  • Biometrics, now common in refugee settings, started as a way to register refugees and prevent fraud.
  • Today, it's used for everyday activities like cash transfers and healthcare access.
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