The Informational Logic of Human Rights: Network Imaginaries in the Cybernetic Age

The datafication of human rights has raised concerns about the political valences of human rights. Josh Bowsher's book resituates recent critiques of human rights within ongoing theoretical discussions concerning informational capitalism, digital culture, and the politics of data. He provides a new conceptual agenda for exploring and overcoming the limits of human rights in an era shaped by data flows, network infrastructures, and informational logic of late capitalism.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 31 October 2022
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

When atrocities become calculable, abuses transform into data, and victims become vectors, what happens to the cultural politics of human rights? As human rights organizations have increasingly embraced information technologies, the datafication of rights has become a reality and a pressing concern, intertwined with questions regarding the broader political valences of human rights.

Combining contemporary social and cultural theory with archival research and original ethnographic work, Josh Bowsher resituates recent critiques of human rights within ongoing theoretical discussions concerning informational capitalism, digital culture, and the politics of data. Critically analyzing the contemporary human rights movement as an informational politics, Bowsher provides a new conceptual agenda for exploring and overcoming the limits of human rights in an era shaped by the data flows, network infrastructures, and informational logic of late capitalism.

In this book, Bowsher explores the ways in which human rights are being transformed by the increasing reliance on information technologies. He argues that the datafication of rights has led to a shift in the power dynamics between human rights actors and those who seek to undermine them. Human rights organizations, for example, have become more data-driven, using data to identify patterns of abuse, monitor compliance with international standards, and advocate for change.

However, the datafication of rights also poses challenges. One concern is that the emphasis on data can lead to a reductionist understanding of human rights, which sees them as merely statistical abstractions rather than the lived experiences of individuals and communities. This can result in a lack of empathy and understanding for the victims of human rights abuses, who are often marginalized and silenced.

Another concern is that the datafication of rights can be used to justify authoritarianism and repression. Governments and other actors can use data to track and control individuals, monitor their activities, and suppress dissent. This can lead to a loss of privacy and freedom of expression, and can undermine the democratic values that underpin human rights.

To address these challenges, Bowsher proposes a new conceptual agenda for the study of human rights in an era of datafication. He suggests that human rights should be understood as a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that is shaped by a range of social, cultural, and political factors. Human rights should be seen as a set of practices and processes that are embedded in social structures and institutions, and that are shaped by the power dynamics between different actors.

Bowsher also suggests that human rights should be approached from a more interdisciplinary perspective, drawing on insights from fields such as information studies, cultural studies, and political science. This can help to develop a more nuanced understanding of the ways in which data is used to shape human rights, and can provide new tools for challenging and overcoming the limits of human rights in an era of datafication.

In conclusion, the datafication of rights has transformed the cultural politics of human rights in significant ways. While it has brought new opportunities for advocacy and monitoring, it also poses challenges that require a new conceptual agenda for understanding and overcoming. By combining contemporary social and cultural theory with archival research and original ethnographic work, Josh Bowsher provides a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate about the future of human rights in an era shaped by the data flows

Weight: 470g
Dimension: 161 x 241 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399509909