Emancipatory HCI Exploring the energy of transformation in participatory approaches

Abstract

This workshop draws on the notion of emancipatory HCI, understood as an approach to design and research that actively challenges systems of domination and supports agency, justice, and alternative futures. From this perspective, participation is revisited as a transformative practice, where emancipation is not a stable outcome but a dynamic force; a “pulse” that emerges, circulates, and at times dissipates within participatory processes. The workshop creates space to reflect on tensions, ambivalences, and the conditions under which emancipatory practices can be sustained or reactivated in contemporary socio-technical contexts. Through embodied scenarios and collaborative mapping, participants will explore challenges and strategies for sustaining emancipatory engagement, particularly in contexts characterized by power asymmetries and institutional constraints, as well as by emerging technological conditions such as AI and data infrastructures. The workshop brings together researchers and practitioners across domains, including public sector design, activism, and sensitive contexts, to critically reflect on participation beyond normative assumptions of empowerment.