Human Values and Digital Work: An Ethnographic Study of Device Paradigm

Abstract

I examine Albert Borgmann’s concept of device paradigm as a way to underscore the significance of human values in one’s engagement with digital work in an organizational setting. Device paradigm explains the pervasive patterns of everyday engagement with information technologies as devices that facilitate prosperity without burden and efforts and, in so doing, can downplay the human values in practices. Although prior research has highlighted the significance of focal things and practices, much remains to be learned about the role of human values in contemporary everyday engagement with digital technologies. Drawing on a critical ethnography of everyday practices at an information technology firm (approximately 300 employees), I apply the critical social theory of Borgmann to analyze how digital work is firmly anchored in human values, and how device paradigm can be used as a critical lens to examine the contemporary everyday engagement with information technology. The study reveals that digital devices can have focal aspects and everyday places can be seen as focal places. Focal things are firmly grounded in focal places, which facilitate the emergence of focal practices. Ethnographers are encouraged to explore values in the field (held by people) as well as values of the field (attached to the places).

Human Values in a Digital-First World: The Implications for Qualitative Research

“…Using Digital Technology Chughtai (2020) examines human values in his ethnography of digital work in an IT organization. The study documents and identifies human values in work practices and shows how IT professionals' work is infl uenced by their values.…”

“…One implication of a digital-first world is that, if our digital technologies are created,before a phys ical version, as opposed to technology representing physical reality, then the values inscribed into these technologies have the potential to shape our own values (Baskerville et al, 2020;Chughtai, 2020). As we rely on digital technologies more and more to conduct our essential everyday activ ities, including our own research activities, these technologies can promote some values and demote others.…”

Analysis of modern digital civilization in the context of dominant paradigms of humanitarian education development: attempts of philosophical reflection

“…In classical educational strategies, it is quite difficult to unite these components, so the philosophy of education comes to the fore, which is able to highlight approaches to comprehensive educational development through the actualization of thinking activity. Chughtai (2020) interprets the term paradigm in the context of modern socio-cultural development not as a stable model, but as a variable interpretation, the framework of which is constantly changing (or even modified). It is worth noting that scientific research in recent years has been formed in the context of complex humanitarian crises in society (pandemic, military-political tensions), so the positioning of ICT is interpreted in the context of the direct impact of the humanitarian component (Debroy et al, 2023).…”