Citizen Management of Technology: A Science and Technology Studies approach to wireless networks and urban governance trough guifi.net

Abstract

Thesis presented at the Departament de Psicologia Social de la UAB by Yann Bona on December, 2010. Directed by Dr. Joan Pujol Tarrés.

This dissertation explores the many ways in which citizens aiming to manage technologies in urban scape relate to public administrations. To accomplish it's task, it brings forward certain STS notions such as cosmopolitics, hybrid composition or technical democracy. On a general level, this thesis seeks an answer to Bruno Latour concern with what does it mean to conceive the technical as political?. We offer a set of conclusions based on what we choose to name a Sociotechnique of Public Policy .

Our work relies on a case study focused on a free and open wireless network (located in Catalunya for the most part and called guifi.net) that emerged from the desire and will of Civil Society wich, up to date, turns out to be the world's biggest free wireless network.