“Ray of sunshine happiness gun” and other apps in pursuit of social justice: Teens’ designs from Philadelphia

Fisher, Karen E.; Martens, Marianne; Peterson-Kempf, Ann; Meyers, Eric M.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/96765 Copy

Description

Title

“Ray of sunshine happiness gun” and other apps in pursuit of social justice: Teens’ designs from Philadelphia

Author(s)

• Fisher, Karen E.
• Martens, Marianne
• Peterson-Kempf, Ann
• Meyers, Eric M.

Issue Date

2017

Keyword(s)

• Teens
• Libraries
• Design
• Community
• Social justice

Abstract

Young people everywhere are marginalized due to intersecting forces: poverty, racism, bigotry, and even language ability. Such marginalization limits opportunities for education, personal development, economic stability, and the ability to engage in civic affairs. Libraries can help, but are underutilized by teens on the fringes of society. Traditional methods, such as surveys and focus groups, can fall short as tools for understanding holistically the needs of teens and providing useful service. We used community-based design research with teens at the Free Library of Philadelphia (PA, USA) to uncover the meaning of technology, community, and social justice in teens’ lives, and to create designs for promoting social justice. A Raspberry Pi training session gave teens an inexpensive and user-friendly way to experience technology creation. Teens’ designs showed an array of creative apps and services for promoting social justice that reflect deep sensitivity of community and care for others.

Publisher

iSchools

Series/Report Name or Number

iConference 2017 Proceedings

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/96765

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2017 Karen E. Fisher, Marianne Martens, Ann Peterson-Kempf, and Eric M. Meyers

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