Year: 2010
Type: article
Abstract: The processes by which knowledge is constructed, that is to say the research questions, the methods and the researcher's epistemological commitments, have an impact on the knowledge that is generated.The way the researcher approaches and relates to interviewees influences the type and quality of information that she or he gathers, and thus affects the research findings.This is particularly so in cases where a strong social, cultural and/or ideological gulf exists between the researcher and the interview partner, or when interviewees are skeptical toward academic research.In this essay, we describe the obstacles we encountered in the course of a series of interviews with media activists and members of what we call "grass-roots tech groups." 1 We focus on the clash of organizational cultures (grass-roots activism vs. academia), and derive methodological implications for conducting "engaged" research with social actors who, like radical activists, usually remain outside the academic spotlight.This text is written from the perspective of former media activists who are passionate about social movement media and who try to select research questions that matter to those who are researched. Anarchist and Underground: Grass-Roots TechiesWe draw our examples from two separate strands of research on grass-roots tech groups conducted in the period 2006-2009.Grass-roots techies are activists skilled in software programming ("coding"), who set up and run communication infrastructures that represent an alternative to commercial services.They usually offer Web-based services, such as Web site hosting and blogging platforms, e-mail accounts and mailing lists, and other tools, such as anonymous remailers.They may develop specific tools, such as encryption programs to protect the privacy of other activists, or provide platforms for selfproduction of information (e.g., Indymedia).They operate on a voluntary basis and through collective organizing principles, with the aim of counteracting commercial as well as state pressures on information content, media access, and the privacy of media users.Examples include Riseup.net in the United States and Autistici/Inventati in Italy. 1 These interviews served to explore the nature of their activities from a sociological point of view (Milan, 2009), and their views on Internet governance (Hintz & Milan, 2009).
Authors: Stefanía Milan, Arne Hintz
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W46393717