Techniques of Use: Confronting Value Systems of Productivity, Progress, and Usefulness in Computing and Design

Title of the Paper

Techniques of Use: Confronting Value Systems of Productivity, Progress, and Usefulness in Computing and Design

Paper Information

• Subject Area: Exploration of value systems in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and design, focusing on critical analysis of productivity, progress, and technological usefulness.
• Keywords: labor, exploitation, genealogy, usefulness, productivity, progress, colonialism, racism, patriarchy, violence, injustice

Research Background and Issues

• Identified Problems/Challenges:

  1. The value system of "usefulness" in HCI and technological design obscures inequalities and violence, including colonial othering, racial exclusion, and exploitation.
  2. Productivity and progress-driven value systems in technology often reinforce excessive labor and exploitation of certain groups.
  3. The emphasis on positive change and progress in technology and design may overlook persistent inequalities and violence.

• Significance of the Research:

  1. The current blind pursuit of "usefulness" and "productivity" in technology may conceal or exacerbate structural injustices.
  2. In the context of nations, corporations, and academic institutions, technological design methods have profound impacts on the distribution of social power.
  3. Exploring the persistence of these values can provide reflections for more equitable technological design and application.

• Motivation and Related Work:

  1. Drawing on critical race theory and feminist philosophy (e.g., Sara Ahmed's theories), the study examines how technological methods serve as tools for controlling "usefulness."
  2. Building on previous discussions in the HCI community about social justice and empowerment, the study delves deeper into how hidden inequalities are sustained.
  3. By comparing current practices with historical colonialism and capitalist exploitation, the study examines how traditional causal chains are re-integrated.

Solutions

• Proposed Methods or Solutions: The author adopts a genealogical approach to reveal the continuity of "usefulness" values in the technological domain from historical and cultural perspectives, supplemented by fieldwork to demonstrate how these values sustain injustices across various contexts.

• Innovative Contributions:

  1. The author elevates technological "usefulness" to a moral obligation and uses multi-sited anthropological research to reveal the global application of this value system, showcasing the sociopolitical consequences of technological design.
  2. Through critical analysis, the study highlights how positive emotions associated with productivity and well-being mask structural violence.
  3. By systematically combining historical and contemporary cases—from China's manufacturing sector, engineering cultures in China and Indonesia, to structural changes in humanities disciplines at U.S. universities—the study connects seemingly unrelated phenomena.

• Implementation Steps and Key Techniques:

  1. Research Design: Conducting multi-sited ethnographic studies (including Indonesia, China, and the U.S.) to investigate manifestations of "usefulness" in different contexts.
  2. Data Collection:
     • Case studies involving collaboration between Indonesia's governmental science departments and IBM technology.
     • Research on the transformation of Shenzhen, China, from manufacturing to entrepreneurship incubation, and the social impacts of related policies.
     • Participant observation and reflection on a humanities laboratory at a U.S. university.
  3. Analytical Methods: Utilizing open coding, thematic analysis, and situational mapping to examine the mechanisms linking governance, labor exploitation, and occupational precarity with "usefulness."

Research Outcomes

• Specific Findings:

  1. The study reveals the historical roots of "usefulness" as a social moral responsibility and how "positive emotions" (e.g., hope, optimism) sustain inequality and exploitation.
  2. Case studies demonstrate how "usefulness" is internalized as cultural practice through technological tools, from national policies to individual career decisions.
  3. The research deepens the field of "critical human-computer interaction," offering new perspectives for studies addressing race, gender, and socioeconomic status.

• Advantages Over Existing Solutions:

  1. The study systematically addresses social justice issues in technological practices, rather than focusing solely on specific design optimizations within traditional HCI.
  2. International, cross-context research enriches the understanding and reflection on the relationship between technology and society across cultures.
  3. By introducing a "critical emotion" perspective, the study challenges hidden mechanisms of violence in technological research.

• Experimental or Evaluation Results:

  • Fieldwork records indicate that whether in China's entrepreneurship-driven Shenzhen, Indonesia's technology collaboration, or the U.S. university undergoing transformation, these technological methods effectively promote workers' internalization of "usefulness." However, this internalization often comes at the cost of psychological pressure, class restructuring, and inequality.

• Limitations and Future Directions:

  1. The sample is primarily limited to certain Asian countries and the U.S.; further research is needed to examine "usefulness" in other cultural contexts.
  2. Future studies could focus more on transitioning from critical analysis to practice, such as how technological design can avoid internalizing existing systems of inequality.
  3. Further exploration of interdisciplinary approaches to integrate technological research findings into policymaking, education, and other fields.