Responsible innovation is not comfortable: a call for grounded, embodied reflexivity when doing RI

In this perspective piece, we reflect on our experiences as situated responsible innovation (RI) practitioners working in the settler-colonial capitalist contexts of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Beginning with the premise that discomfort is inherent and valuable to practicing RI, we share thr...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Karly Ann Burch, Susanna Finlay-Smits, Tara Roberson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2024-12-01
Series:Journal of Responsible Innovation
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23299460.2024.2427429
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849236103381385216
author Karly Ann Burch
Susanna Finlay-Smits
Tara Roberson
author_facet Karly Ann Burch
Susanna Finlay-Smits
Tara Roberson
author_sort Karly Ann Burch
collection DOAJ
description In this perspective piece, we reflect on our experiences as situated responsible innovation (RI) practitioners working in the settler-colonial capitalist contexts of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Beginning with the premise that discomfort is inherent and valuable to practicing RI, we share three situated experiences of noticing and navigating discomfort in our research: embracing the discomfort of one’s compromised agency; developing relationships to hold discomfort; and staying with the trouble of colonialism. Through articulating our experiences, we encourage RI practitioners to reflect on their positionalities and response-abilities. We also highlight how discomfort can open-up or close-down opportunities for practicing RI – depending on how it is handled in practice. We believe such grounded, embodied reflexivity can support research teams to better notice when innovation projects committed to responsibility are perpetuating uneven power relations, and to be more proactive in designing ethical, equitable, and anti-colonial research cultures and technologies.
format Article
id doaj-art-a496b02288f94210a894994a1d4f75aa
institution Kabale University
issn 2329-9460
2329-9037
language English
publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher Taylor & Francis Group
record_format Article
series Journal of Responsible Innovation
spelling doaj-art-a496b02288f94210a894994a1d4f75aa2025-08-20T04:02:28ZengTaylor & Francis GroupJournal of Responsible Innovation2329-94602329-90372024-12-0111110.1080/23299460.2024.2427429Responsible innovation is not comfortable: a call for grounded, embodied reflexivity when doing RIKarly Ann Burch0Susanna Finlay-Smits1Tara Roberson2Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland, Lincoln, Aotearoa, New ZealandManaaki Whenua Landcare Research, Lincoln, Aotearoa, New ZealandAustralian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems (EQUS), Brisbane, AustraliaIn this perspective piece, we reflect on our experiences as situated responsible innovation (RI) practitioners working in the settler-colonial capitalist contexts of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Beginning with the premise that discomfort is inherent and valuable to practicing RI, we share three situated experiences of noticing and navigating discomfort in our research: embracing the discomfort of one’s compromised agency; developing relationships to hold discomfort; and staying with the trouble of colonialism. Through articulating our experiences, we encourage RI practitioners to reflect on their positionalities and response-abilities. We also highlight how discomfort can open-up or close-down opportunities for practicing RI – depending on how it is handled in practice. We believe such grounded, embodied reflexivity can support research teams to better notice when innovation projects committed to responsibility are perpetuating uneven power relations, and to be more proactive in designing ethical, equitable, and anti-colonial research cultures and technologies.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23299460.2024.2427429Feminist and anti-colonial science and technology studies (STS)response-abilitysettler-colonial capitalismintersectionality and equitycritical reflexivity
spellingShingle Karly Ann Burch
Susanna Finlay-Smits
Tara Roberson
Responsible innovation is not comfortable: a call for grounded, embodied reflexivity when doing RI
Journal of Responsible Innovation
Feminist and anti-colonial science and technology studies (STS)
response-ability
settler-colonial capitalism
intersectionality and equity
critical reflexivity
title Responsible innovation is not comfortable: a call for grounded, embodied reflexivity when doing RI
title_full Responsible innovation is not comfortable: a call for grounded, embodied reflexivity when doing RI
title_fullStr Responsible innovation is not comfortable: a call for grounded, embodied reflexivity when doing RI
title_full_unstemmed Responsible innovation is not comfortable: a call for grounded, embodied reflexivity when doing RI
title_short Responsible innovation is not comfortable: a call for grounded, embodied reflexivity when doing RI
title_sort responsible innovation is not comfortable a call for grounded embodied reflexivity when doing ri
topic Feminist and anti-colonial science and technology studies (STS)
response-ability
settler-colonial capitalism
intersectionality and equity
critical reflexivity
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23299460.2024.2427429
work_keys_str_mv AT karlyannburch responsibleinnovationisnotcomfortableacallforgroundedembodiedreflexivitywhendoingri
AT susannafinlaysmits responsibleinnovationisnotcomfortableacallforgroundedembodiedreflexivitywhendoingri
AT tararoberson responsibleinnovationisnotcomfortableacallforgroundedembodiedreflexivitywhendoingri