of social work, Beverley Burke and Philomena Harrison write that “[a]n understanding of [anti-oppressive] principles brings with it a fundamental transformation in the relationship that exists between the assessment of a situation and the nature of the action that is required to change the existing state of affairs.” We suggest that this notion is equally relevant in our field of interaction design.

If presented with the choice to work on an existing or nascent project, one can ask: What oppression would this work strive to eliminate? On what level? At which intersections? On the other hand, if one is in a position to define a new project or enterprise, one can choose an oppression or an intersection of special interests and search for a solution.

Obviously problematic endeavors (e.g., military contracts) will be quickly weeded out by this analysis, and more nuanced shortcomings may also be. A common example is the dichotomy between social service and social change. Some projects may be focused on providing assistance to those affected by oppression without much interest in disrupting the structures that make it possible. While this kind of work is important and praiseworthy, it is at odds with the definition of anti-oppression given above.

Burke and Harrison also write “the anti-oppressive principle of reflexivity demands that workers continually consider the ways in which their own social identity and values affect [their work].” This concept is also applicable in the interaction design context. We must recognize that we may not have a good understanding of the oppressions we seek to work against and must therefore educate ourselves as a first order of business. We must also recognize our technical biases and be prepared to acknowledge that the best solution may end up being a non-technical one.

At Sassafras Tech Collective, a
worker-cooperative tech consultancy
created by the authors, this is the
approach we have taken. Our vision
document, which we refer to when
deciding what work to pursue, lays
out our understanding of oppression.
We favor projects with a background
research component, and several of
our main projects grew out of doctoral
studies. Below, we review some
examples of how the anti-oppression
framework has guided our work.
Hollaback is a social movement
organization dedicated to ending street
harassment, or public harassment
motivated by gender, gender expression,
or sexual orientation [ 3]. We work
with Hollaback to build technology
that enables survivors of street
harassment to share their stories.
Jill Dimond’s research suggests this
online storytelling has supported
frame transformation in the movement
as participants construct shared
understandings around the issue.
This work appeals to us as it targets
the intersection of sexism, racism,
heterosexism, and transphobia—
harassment can be directed along any of
these axes of oppression. Hollaback also
operates primarily on the individual and
cultural levels—individual, in that the
technology provides a means of recourse
for survivors and thus potential dissuasion
for would-be harassers, and cultural,
in that the movement looks to evolve a
cultural shift wherein street harassment
would become socially unacceptable.
With the Carter Center, a U. S.-
based NGO best known for its
election-observation and disease-
eradication initiatives, we developed
tools to support international
election-observation missions. A
digitized observation operation
ensures more reliable and quickly
available data, allowing anomalies to
be detected sooner.
We chose to pursue this project
because it works against a variety of
different oppressions depending on
the country holding the election. In
a country with a history of religious
discrimination, an observation
mission might pay special attention
to issues of religious oppression.
Counteracting sexism is a regular focus
of the Center’s observations. Broadly
stated, the goal of election observation
is to ensure a genuine democratic
process, and this mission is in line with
many contemporary anti-oppression
movements. Unlike Hollaback, election-
observation missions operate mainly on
Figure 1. The AORTA Collective’s “Iceberg of Oppression.”