Working at the Seams of Colonial Structures: Alternative Sociotechnical Infrastructures Revealed by Hurricane Maria

Abstract

This study explains why and how Puerto Rican activists responded effectively to the crisis in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. By relying on a structural approach, this study analyzes the local institutional environment. Using the seamful work framework, it examines activists’ practice to reveal activists’ relation with their official state infrastructure and their interactions with said infrastructure before and after Maria. Using semi-structured interviews, observations, and publicly available documents, this study shows that activists navigate the state’s unequal infrastructure by building their infrastructures, called alternative sociotechnical infrastructures, which consist of a set of heterogeneous assortments of actors, organizations, and technologies to address state-driven inequality and natural disasters. Activists do not work to restore existing state infrastructures, instead, they deploy their expertise in their communities to address many of the challenges brought on by disasters. This study emphasizes a bottom-up approach, highlighting local actors’ agency by focusing on the convergence of their knowledge, organizations, and Information and Communication Technologies. Moreover, this research proposes that state-community disconnect is rooted in neoliberal and colonial measures and cautions against considering disasters as opportunities to start anew. Finally, this research proposes new possibilities to plan bottom-up relief efforts that acknowledge the role of civil society and activists.

Combining Intergroup Dialogue and Sociotechnical Infrastructure Design: Addressing Social and Technical Determinants of Health Information Disparities with the Latinx Community

“…ASIs are social and technical re-arrangement created as a response to the misalignment between the institutional environment and local communities (often marginalized). The creation of ASI happens through practices in which communities are aware of such misalignment, have deep situated knowledge of their communities, and use the expertise and resources they have at hand to build alternative systems that allow them to address structural inequities (Espinoza Vasquez, 2021). ASIs are not a new phenomenon; marginalized communities have created alternative economic models, alternative processes of self-government, and alternative networks of allies.…”

“…This study is guided by the notion of Alternative Sociotechnical Infrastructures (ASI), which are social and technical systems that communities bring together when their local institutional environment does not provide mechanisms to engage in their local political and economic life (Espinoza Vasquez, 2021). ASIs are social and technical re-arrangement created as a response to the misalignment between the institutional environment and local communities (often marginalized).…”

“…Moreover, building this infrastructure benefits from employing participatory principles via various data elicitation methods. Alternative Sociotechnical Infrastructures (ASIs) are the interconnected networks of technical, human, cultural, and organizational resources that civil society/communities create when their local institutional environments do not provide mechanisms for them to engage fully in local political and economic life (Espinoza Vasquez, 2021). This pilot study is part of a larger project that engages Fayette County's Latinx community, civil organizations, and the local government as collaborators in building an ASI consisting of a community organization and a web-based platform.…”

“…In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Maria, when critical infrastructures were obliterated, brought together an assortment of collaborators across the archipelago and the United States through a configuration of available technologies like skype, landlines, Facebook, and text messaging. In this way, they coordinate relief more effectively than the local and federal governments (Espinoza Vasquez, 2021; Santiago-Ortiz, 2020).…”

Governing Agricultural Biotechnologies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany: A Trans-decadal Study of Regulatory Cultures

“…The social movements literature has traditionally pointed to political opportunity structures, alongside other factors, to explain the effectiveness of campaigns against the state (McAdam et al 2001, 41). In the pages of this journal, the concept has been applied to understand how scientists and entrepreneurs have mobilized within the political opportunity structures provided by mainstream institutions (Woodhouse and Breyman 2005), and to explain how activists were able to create alternative socio-technical infrastructures (Espinoza Vasquez 2021). In this paper, we focus on opportunities for different stakeholders—scientists, corporates, activists, and campaigning organizations—to participate in public debate and decision-making about agricultural biotechnologies.…”