Ethnographic Laboratory for Technological and Digital Studies: scientific dissemination through the production of a podcast

• Grant number: 25/19118-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Journalism
• Start date: April 01, 2026
• End date: March 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Anthropology
• Principal Investigator: Carolina Parreiras Silva
• Grantee: Irene do Planalto Chemin Pimentel
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/06857-7 - Digital inequalities and ethnography: the internet, its uses, possibilities and agency in Rio de Janeiro`s favelas, AP.JP

Abstract

This journalistic proposal addresses a set of multimodal scientific dissemination initiatives within the Ethnographic Laboratory of Technological and Digital Studies (LETEC), affiliated with the Department of Anthropology at USP. Created in 2022, LETEC's purpose is to conduct ethnographic research on various aspects of the adoption and use of technologies and the internet, with a special focus on digital inequalities. Among the Laboratory's areas of concentration, all of which are intertwined with inequalities, are: digital control, surveillance, and security; algorithmic discrimination, big data, and data policy; social media, apps, and smartphones; violence arising from and through digital media; and research ethics in digital contexts.Scientific dissemination is an umbrella area that encompasses various measures dedicated to the dissemination of science, communicating scientific knowledge, and bringing people closer to research institutions and universities. Thus, different forms of dialogue between scientific culture and the citizen can be developed. Podcasts have been growing as a source of information in Brazil and have become popular due to their oral language and adaptability to fast-paced daily life. Anthropologists have argued that podcasts help rethink ethnographic research strategies, value anthropological polyphony, and strengthen Anthropology's position in the public arena.This project aims to develop multimodal scientific outreach initiatives for LETEC, the main ones being the development, production, and dissemination of a podcast and a thematic season on digital inequalities. I also propose maintaining the Laboratory's website, collaborating with the organization of the Laboratory's events and activities, producing audiovisual content for social media, written reports for blogs and magazines, and press releases for newspapers, all in order to amplify the reach of LETEC's research and activities. (AU)