Understanding digital transformation
Transdisciplinary cartography of digital change between participatory social analysis and transformative science
Digital change influences the lives of most people on many levels: from everyday communication and knowledge production and its transfer, to online dating - a life without digital technologies is scarcely imaginable.
But how can digital change be understood and – above all – shaped? Three universities and further partners have joined together with Furtwangen University to form a practical think tank in the "Digitaldialog 21" (DD//21) research project. The transdisciplinary group will be looking at the topic from political, social, cultural and ethical viewpoints.
The project will include a thorough situation analysis of the complex topic of "Digitalization" and of social discourse on the topic. Using this as a basis, the research partners will determine and evaluate the social, cultural and ethical challenges of digitalization.
The starting point is everyday narratives about digitalisation such as interviews with lay persons and specialists in various fields. Scientific approaches which include ordinary members of society and nationwide dialogue forums on the topic of digitalization, will enable a broad basis of data to be collected which systematically correlates present and future areas of responsibility.
These empirical methods will, on the one hand, result in the development of concrete and ethical media tools for education, and on the other, in innovative approaches to shaping society, which also follow steadily increasing change. Members of society should be actively involved in the public discourse, thus increasing their digital competence.
The aim of the project is both to avoid an increasing number of digital "losers", and to demonstrate how digital change can be shaped by the close dovetailing of scientific theory and practice.
Further information can be found in German under: digitaldialog21.de
Podcasts, videos and more can be found on our YouTube channel.
Project results
The results of the Digitaldialog 21 project are published in issue 3 of Zugluft – Öffentliche Wissenschaft in Forschung, Lehre und Gesellschaft magazine: www.zugluft.de
Project and cooperation partners
Project partners
- Furtwangen University (coordination)
- Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart
- Ludwigsburg University of Education
Other cooperation partners
- Südwestrundfunk, SWR Stuttgart
- Landesanstalt für Kommunikation Baden-Württemberg (LFK)
- Bischöfliche Medienstiftung
- Stiftung MedienKompetenz Forum Südwest
- Landesbeauftragter für den Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit Baden-Württemberg