Practicing Sovereignty: Digital Involvement in Times of Crises

Digital sovereignty has become a hotly debated concept. The current convergence of multiple crises adds fuel to this debate, as it contextualizes the concept in a foundational discussion of democratic principles, civil rights, and national identities: is (technological) self-determination an option for every individual to cope with the digital sphere effectively? Can disruptive events provide chances to rethink our ideas of society – including the design of the objects and processes which constitute our techno-social realities? The positions assembled in this volume analyze opportunities for participation and policy-making, and describe alternative technological practices before and after the pandemic.

Bianca Herlo (Dr. phil.), geb. 1975, lebt in Berlin. Sie ist Designforscherin an der Universität der Künste Berlin, Design Research Lab (Schwerpunkte Civic Design und Social Design), und leitet die Forschungsgruppe »Ungleichheit und digitale Souveränität« am Berliner Weizenbaum Institut für die vernetzte Gesellschaft. Sie lehrt Design und Designtheorie an unterschiedlichen Hochschulen und ist seit 2014 Vorstandsmitglied der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Designtheorie und -forschung (DGTF).

Daniel Irrgang is a research fellow at Weizenbaum Institute, Berlin, where he is part of the research group »Inequality and Digital Sovereignty« (Berlin University of the Arts). He holds a PhD in media studies with a thesis on diagrammatics and theories of expanded mind. His work focusses on depictions of knowledge, HCI paradigms, art & technology, and epistemology.

Gesche Joost (Prof. Dr.) lehrt und forscht zur digitalen Transformation der Gesellschaft.

Andreas Unteidig works as a researcher, lecturer, and designer. He is an associated researcher at Weizenbaum Institute, Berlin, and heads the MA program Transformation Design at HBK Braunschweig. His work explores the intersections between design, technology, and processes of social change.