Technological Affordance and the Realities of Citizen Science Projects Developed in Challenging Territories

Fábio Grigoletto (), Fernanda Antunes de Oliveira, Caio Caradi Momesso, Ibrahim Kamel Rodrigues Nehemy, João Emílio de Almeida Junior, Vinícius de Avelar São Pedro, Roberto Greco, Mário Aquino Alves and Tim Edwards
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Fábio Grigoletto: Center for Nature Sciences, Campus Lagoa do Sino, Federal University of São Carlos, Buri 18290-000, SP, Brazil
Fernanda Antunes de Oliveira: Center for Studies in Public Administration and Government, School of Business Administration of São Paulo, Getúlio Vargas Foundation, São Paulo 01313-902, SP, Brazil
Caio Caradi Momesso: Center for Studies in Public Administration and Government, School of Business Administration of São Paulo, Getúlio Vargas Foundation, São Paulo 01313-902, SP, Brazil
Ibrahim Kamel Rodrigues Nehemy: Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-862, SP, Brazil
João Emílio de Almeida Junior: Laboratory of Biogeography and Natural History of Amphibians and Reptiles (Mapinguari), Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande 79002970, MS, Brazil
Vinícius de Avelar São Pedro: Center for Nature Sciences, Campus Lagoa do Sino, Federal University of São Carlos, Buri 18290-000, SP, Brazil
Roberto Greco: Department of Science and Technology Policy, Institute of Geosciences, University of Campinas (Unicamp), Campinas 13083-855, SP, Brazil
Mário Aquino Alves: Center for Studies in Public Administration and Government, School of Business Administration of São Paulo, Getúlio Vargas Foundation, São Paulo 01313-902, SP, Brazil
Tim Edwards: Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3EU, UK

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 8, 1-15

Abstract: Citizen science has established itself as an important approach to the co-production of knowledge and public participation in scientific research. Combined with digital technologies and online tools, the approach has been celebrated as a path toward the democratization of science. However, only a few studies have investigated the role digital technologies play in shaping interactions between people and nature. Additionally, the role of context in shaping online and face-to-face participation in citizen science projects has yet to receive much attention. This article takes a citizen science initiative in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest in the state of São Paulo as an illustrative case of the emergence of unanticipated consequences of digital technologies. The emergence of a socio-material practice of animal identification through a popular instant-messaging app is described, allowing a better understanding of the role of digital technologies and the context framing citizen participation in challenging environments.

Keywords: citizen science; digital technologies; materialities; affordances; participation; digital communities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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