“Openness”: New study on open source, open government, and blockchain

What the sharing economy is to real things, the vision of “openness” is to the digital world: In this concept for software applications, cooperation and transparency are considered indispensable values. Paulina Dobroć’s study focuses on three key application areas of this approach: open source, open government, and blockchain technology.

From the hacker movement to new forms of democratic participation

The ITAS researcher is particularly interested in current discourses on digitalization, whose dynamics can lead to a redistribution of power and knowledge. Her analysis spans from the origins of the hacker movement to specific current applications – for example, in banking and politics – to new opportunities for participation in democracy.

“Openness” as a vision of the future

In the debate on digitalization and its orientation with regard to democracy and sustainability, the researcher concludes, a recourse to the fundamentals is just as important as an open-ended discussion of alternative paths. In this work, the exploration of the “openness” vision is preceded by a theoretical examination of the question of what a vision of the future, such as that of “openness,” is in the first place – also in order to distinguish it from other theoretical concepts such as “socio-technical imaginaries.”

The aim of the publication is to present a scientific analysis that is relevant not only to a specialist audience but also to the broader public and, not least, to the political level. In addition to the print version, the book is also available as an open access e-book. (11.09.2023)

Bibliographic data:

Paulina Dobroć
Open Source, Open Government, Blockchain. Eine kultursemiotische Studie zur Openness-Vision. Munich: oekom, 2023, 294 pp., ISBN 978-3-98726-056-8
Publisher information and open access (full text)