[Air-L] New booklet published: Technology and Disinformation in the Território do Bem (Vitóra, Brazil)

[Nemer, David (dn6nn)]

Dear AoIRers,

I hope this message finds you well.

Today is a very special day. After over a year of research, we are excited to launch the booklet "Technology and Disinformation in the Território do Bem" (Vitória, Brazil), published as a bilingual booklet (Portuguese and English) by Editora Milfontes (with an ISBN and properly catalogued).

This is the first report of its kind focused on understanding how favela residents engage with technology and disinformation, and how these interactions shape their everyday lives. The project centers on exploring the role of technology and disinformation in the daily experiences of the Território do Bem, emphasizing participatory research and community engagement as key drivers of social transformation.

Importantly, the study also works to challenge and deconstruct long-standing stereotypes about favelas—often portrayed as hubs of disinformation due to a supposed lack of education. Our findings reveal that such assumptions are unfounded. In fact, engagement with disinformation among favela residents—who are predominantly Black—is significantly lower than among individuals from higher social classes.

I couldn't attach the booklets on this email, but they are available for download on https://www.favela-digital.com<https://www.favela-digital.com/> (PS- we added a page summarizing the main findings so you don't have to read the entire booklet :-) )

This study is part of a broader initiative in which we are working collaboratively with residents to establish a local research lab, enabling them to conduct their own investigations and generate knowledge from within their communities.

This month also marks 13 years since I began my relationship with the favelas of the Território do Bem. It’s been a long, meaningful, and rewarding journey- and these booklets are a great way to celebrate that.

I hope you enjoy reading the report.

Warm regards,
--

David Nemer, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Media Studies

Faculty Affiliate, Department of Anthropology

Director, Latin American Studies Program

University of Virginia



Faculty Associate, Berkman Klein Center

Harvard University



http://dnemer.com<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.dnemer.com_&d=DwMGaQ&c=WO-RGvefibhHBZq3fL85hQ&r=YiuGtJJD3zrZhYvlO8RyU_SP7LgxPWQd3lg64IowrfE&m=tWQFWF9kBH-tCTWiqCFxj7r2-pUFjJlOJknMUOBGctfBWdBj6-5cXqxlKeCN2LwW&s=48freqQGgO2zgttfg61ls3NDaIRd3YbhhFFF6ezTnc0&e=>



Books:

Technology of the Oppressed (MIT Press, 2022), winner of the 2024 Sally Hacker Prize and 2022 Marcel Roche Award. - https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/technology-oppressed<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__mitpress.mit.edu_books_technology-2Doppressed&d=DwMGaQ&c=WO-RGvefibhHBZq3fL85hQ&r=YiuGtJJD3zrZhYvlO8RyU_SP7LgxPWQd3lg64IowrfE&m=tWQFWF9kBH-tCTWiqCFxj7r2-pUFjJlOJknMUOBGctfBWdBj6-5cXqxlKeCN2LwW&s=75azt_d9BRDzYarzqcgrNvGuKRIY7VnNcs940b7YCU8&e=>

Tecnologia do Oprimido (Editora Milfontes, 2021) - https://editoramilfontes.com.br/loja/Tecnologia_do_oprimido<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__editoramilfontes.com.br_loja_Tecnologia-5Fdo-5Foprimido&d=DwMGaQ&c=WO-RGvefibhHBZq3fL85hQ&r=YiuGtJJD3zrZhYvlO8RyU_SP7LgxPWQd3lg64IowrfE&m=tWQFWF9kBH-tCTWiqCFxj7r2-pUFjJlOJknMUOBGctfBWdBj6-5cXqxlKeCN2LwW&s=BVWo0bG2IzqNrKJyJGj-JFkxJo1lNY37dDl0E7Zi4XM&e=>

Favela Digital: The other side of technology (GSA, 2013) - http://favela-digital.com<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__favela-2Ddigital.com_&d=DwMGaQ&c=WO-RGvefibhHBZq3fL85hQ&r=YiuGtJJD3zrZhYvlO8RyU_SP7LgxPWQd3lg64IowrfE&m=tWQFWF9kBH-tCTWiqCFxj7r2-pUFjJlOJknMUOBGctfBWdBj6-5cXqxlKeCN2LwW&s=fkLBQ8JysvT9-35LOU1rGmSjaH4Ur1kL-QBXokc7IjA&e=>