Centre for Sociodigital Futures

Could you help shed light on how smart technology is changing family dynamics? A tech-savvy generation of children are said to be subverting traditional hierarchies as they take control of elements of home life using smart technology. They might order takeaways through voice assistants like Alexa, get around parental controls, or switch off location tracking on their devices. Individual families will all have different stories to tell. We're looking for families to take part in a study on how smart technology is changing family dynamics. Find out how to get involved https://lnkd.in/eekGBnjU Nicola Horsley #sociodigitalfutures

Over the last two years we’ve been collaborating with University of the West of England on ethnographic research at Sparks Bristol - a centre for sustainability, creativity and education in a building formerly occupied by Marks & Spencer in Bristol. Sparks is a ‘department store with a difference’ which engages the public with the UN's sustainable development goals. It’s an example of how ‘pop up’ or temporary spaces can be created to build communities and advance educational goals. In this paper, we report our findings on how immersive physical and digital spaces are shaped and used to support people’s imagination of alternative and possible futures. Find the paper at https://lnkd.in/e5dbGEaj Jessica Pykett, Keri Facer, Verity Jones, Education and Childhood Research Group (ECRG) at UWE Bristol, ESRC: Economic and Social Research Council #sociodigitalfutures #futures #SDGs

Last night we were very pleased to hold a public lecture on 'Digitalization of Spaces' by Leverhulme Visiting Professor Theodore Schatzki. Thanks to all who joined us in person and online! We had lots of questions - more than we could take last night - so we're answering those we didn’t get around to here. For anyone who missed the talk – don’t worry! We’ll be releasing a podcast from Ted later this Spring. Q.  How important is physical or implied co-presence to spaces and particularly the individual and group affective experiences they afford?   A. It depends on the type of space involved. Physical spaces are objective (persist independently of human experience and action), so their existence does not presume that the perceiver/experiencer is present to them. But spaces of our lives such as places and local regions do presume this: they do not exist unless we dwell in them. Thus, not necessarily "physical" presence, but at least what one might call experiential or "dwelling" presence is required (and physical presence might also be involved). Varying mixes of individual and collective presences in different degrees might be bound up with the existence of given places or local regions. Q. Please could you say a little more about the phenomenological constitution of the experience of space (afforded by psycho-physical capacities). Might examination of the composition of experience help explain symmetries between ‘physical’ and ‘digital’ space? A. I take it that you are posing this question from a Husserlian perspective. I say this because, from a Heideggerian perspective, to which I am partial, one would not talk about the constitution or composition of experience. As a result, symmetries between physical and digital would not be traced back to the constitution of experience, though symmetries in actional directedness-toward could be brought in. Wittgenstein convinced me that there is no "constitution" of experience that can be described in the way Husserl thought. So I am afraid that I am unable to respond further to your question. Q. Our engagement in virtual spaces is largely visual - is this a diminished experience of embodiment as compared to physical spaces? A. I suppose that these experiences must be diminished in some sense whenever the other senses have a less prominent role. But two large caveats: (1) this is equally true of encounters with paintings, drawings, sculpture etc. and (2) although vision is central, other senses are hardly absent. Hearing is also often prominent, touch can be present, smell is on the way, and the mixes of senses involved in virtual reality experiences are variable and evolving. I am not sure that anyone will be posing your question a few years from now.

Final call! Are you thinking of submitting to join us at the International Sociological Association (ISA) Logic and Methodology conference in Naples this summer? There are just a few days left to submit abstracts - deadline 15 March. Details below ⬇️

There's just one week to go before what promises to be a brilliant lecture from Theodore Schatzki. Tickets are going fast but there are still a few places left to join us online. Booking link below.

A great opportunity here for anyone conducting research using new materialist or other more-than-human approaches ⬇️ British Sociological Association

We’re very grateful to have connected with a lot of new followers in recent weeks. Now you’ve found us on LinkedIn, why not also subscribe to our mailing list? We send two newsletters a year, plus the odd ad hoc message about events and opportunities that come up in between. It’s the best way to receive highlights from the Centre and get some longer reads about our work and news. Sign up at 

Did we mention that this lecture is taking place online🖥️ and here in Bristol at the Wills Memorial Building🏛️? Sign up and book a place to join us on 11 March ⬇️

The International Sociological Association (ISA) methodology conference happens in Naples this September ☀️. We'll be there, want to join us? There's just over four weeks left to submit an abstract for our panel event (more below) ⬇️

Surely of interest to the team @Centre for Sociodigital Futures