The Trust Map

The proposed research project is based on the premise that trust and empathy underpin social equality, and a lack of trust can lead to social exclusion and issues in power dynamics. Although digital use (as a whole) has increased in the UK, this usage may not ameliorate social inequality or alter community disconnection. In fact, some attempts at digital inclusion may actually lead to greater social exclusion and alienation. As noted by Helsper (2012), digital and social inclusion are impacted by social, cultural and psychological factors, such as power and trust, alongside issues of access, motivation and confidence. Ten years ago, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2004) produced a report on power and the co-production of community trust in investigations of the digital divide. It suggested that digital resources are powerful tools that can aid in the reparative process of community building and reconnection. Ten years on, research has examined these issues separately, but no research has drawn all of the strands together, addressing the development of, and relations between, power, (mis)trust, empathy and exclusion/inclusion. This novel and timely research project examines the ways that trust (and legacies of mistrust) can lead to social exclusion and power imbalances within minority communities (broadly defined) impacted by digital exclusion in the UK. It does this by using: i) large-scale data analysis of the relation between digital inclusion and empowerment; ii) localized and sustained community-centred activities to investigate the links between digital disempowerment, social exclusion and trust; iii) ethnographic fieldwork and community focus groups to map trust and power offline and online; and iv) participatory community interaction along with the design and implementation of innovative hyper-local technologies to gather and visualise real-time data on community trust. Pilot groups will be consulted on the design of these technologies and, again, before they are deployed to community test sites for evaluation. The final product of these exchanges and data collection is the design of a 'Trust Map'--digital visualization prototype of trust. By investigating the interplay between trust, power, empathic behaviour between communities and social (in)equality, the project tests the transformational potential of online resources or tools for mitigating social injustice. While the project will map community trust between members and toward structures of authority, it will also map the next 'turn' in digital social research (Jankowski 2007); not just the creation of new technology to increase digital use and access to social services (Digital Inclusion Team 2007), but novel solutions to social problems through the use of digital engagement. This aspect of 'digital' as power is a significant one as digital currency becomes less of a choice and more a necessity in order to exist as an engaged and active citizen, in terms of government interaction and access to public services (Lips 2013). Digital inclusion, within the Trust Map, entails more than just increasing digital access and use--it is about communities, power and the potential for societal change.

Results from the research will have significant immediate and long term impact on the Borough of Haringey and its residents. The community engagement and intensive fieldwork in Haringey has the potential to ameliorate feelings of mistrust and enable residents to exercise their power within the community. To that end, the project will directly impact community relations and cohesion through the use of digital technologies. Such improvements could serve as a model for other regions in the UK where citizens are affected by disconnection, alienation and digital disempowerment.

National policy-makers, local authorities, charities and cultural groups will benefit from the protocols of the project and the creation of The Trust Map, potentially using the map to better target their initiatives and community activities. Use of this tool could also improve the quality of life for the general public by offering tools and technologies that would allow service providers a greater understanding of the trust and power dynamics at play within the community, thereby, increasing the effectiveness of their service delivery.

Community citizens/users will actively participate in the co-design of technologies, allowing them to contribute their knowledge and histories to the reparation of community relations and the increase in community cohesion. By reducing digital disempowerment through situated technologies, the proposed research will also increase the potential for community members to contribute to digital enterprise and engage in citizenship activities that depend upon digital use or currency. Utilising digital tools to discuss community (mis)trust and questions of power will inform policy debates on public services, the authority and responsibility of the state and the future equality of all UK citizens.

By investigating good practice for working through issues of trust, empathy and power in online environments, the proposed research will advance efforts of researchers, stakeholders, third sector and other providers to create more equitable and supportive digital services. Establishing and spreading best practice in terms of working with communities and hard to reach populations will advance attempts by researchers to work within these communities and develop more novel participatory design technologies for community use. In addition to informing use, the proposed research also advances a more solid understanding of the role of society and culture in shaping how communities use digital technologies, and how these same technologies can be used to mitigate social and cultural concerns within communities.