This page lists our mission, approach, and process.
MISSION
Infra.Lab is a multi-disciplinary research group at the University of Michigan dedicated to “just” technology (as in justice). We investigate the intermingled social and technical aspects of computing and digital media technologies and their implications for society.
APPROACH
In our lab’s name, Infra stands for “infrastructure:” the little-examined and taken-for-granted parts of technologies and social interactions that have power over us. Leigh Star once wrote that the purpose of research should be to look for the “orphans of infrastructure,” those who are left out by technology.
Our approaches include human-computer interaction; science and technology studies; policy research on politics, laws, and institutions; design; software development; artistic practice; and more.
Our recent work has focused on racial and gender discrimination by algorithmic systems, negative consequences of targeted advertising, inequality and social media use, and the future of technology policy.
PROCESS
We are a group of faculty, postdocs, students, and animals who meet together regularly.
We pursue both collaborative and independent research projects.
We research, we study, we teach, we experiment, we write.
We are excited to be a part of mapping disability inclusion at Michigan.
We are located at the Center for Ethics, Society, and Computing (ESC).
We are a work in progress.