Antiracism & Technology Design: Building Frameworks to Advance Justice in Complex Sociotechnical Systems

Abstract:

Technology, far from being an equalizer, often further entrenches or sustains hierarchies in our society such as sexism, classism, and racism. Whether considering technology from how it is conceived - the creation processes, norms, and ways of knowledge-making that become canon in fields like the geosciences; technology as artifacts such as cellular phones or satellites; or technology as sociotechnical systems such as the nuclear or aerospace industries—assimilationist ideas about issues like class and race are enshrined into technologies during their design, implementation, and post-implementation interactions with society. In order for technology to create and sustain antiracism—equity between racial groups—we consider a systems architecture analysis of the technology design process with the goal of producing antiracist outcomes in society. How can engineers, designers, policymakers, and consumers use principles of antiracism and intersectionality to advance justice in technologies across scale: creation processes, artifacts, and sociotechnical systems? We consider sociotechnical systems and use the aerospace sector and the nuclear enterprise as examples. The nuclear enterprise and the aerospace sector are two sociotechnical systems which have historical overlap, and lessons may be learned from the other to create more antiracist outcomes within each. Developed in the mid-20th century, both industries have dual use civilian and military applications, due to which their development played a pivotal role in diplomacy during the Cold War. In early stages of their development, cooperation to create international treaties and norms attempted to set standards for civilian access and use of both aerospace and nuclear technologies. Both industries have an air of technological prestige, which makes mastery of the embedded technologies desirable for states in a diplomatic context. Both industries face challenges today related to access, equity, and policy around issues like climate justice. We consider these two sectors within the context of systems architecture, antiracism, and intersectionality in order to propose a more just future in each.