Digital Democracies Institute

Dr Wendy Hui Kyong Chun heads the Digital Democracies Institute at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC. A range of disciplines provides rich perspectives on democracy’s ideals and practices in the Internet age. Yet, despite the best efforts of specialists in various disciplines and sectors, the problems of misinformation, radicalization, echo chambers, and abusive language persist. A lack of communication across disciplinary and sectoral boundaries means that insights into these problems may be replicated and not shared, and solutions that may depend on insights from another discipline may not be considered. In addition, the lack of a common vocabulary inhibits the development of shared theoretical frameworks and solutions. The Digital Democracies Institute aims to bridge this gap through interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge mobilization. We integrate research in the humanities, social sciences, computer and data sciences to understand and address online polarization, abusive language, discriminatory algorithms and mis/disinformation. Current research projects include: Beyond Verification, Data Fluencies, From Hate to Agonism, Cyberwar Typologies, Imaginative Methods and Media, Infrastructure, Environment.