5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

Our social, economic, and political lives have already been transformed by the ongoing Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). We see this in the proliferation of social media platforms that have redefined how we communicate and maintain relationships; in the emergence of the platform economy that has redefined employment and job security via the use of digital labor platforms; and in the adoption of e-governance innovations that alter the ways that citizens interact with their governments and access services. And yet there is no coherent road map that describes how digital technologies can be productively and intentionally used for development. In this panel, we seek a better understanding of roles that digital technologies play in development. We are looking for papers that explore the multiple and perhaps contradictory ways in which digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence, labor platforms, robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), and biotechnology are redefining economic structures, social interactions, cultural norms, and the practice of governance. Papers may address a wide range of topics including the impact of digital technology on labor markets, healthcare delivery, educational paradigms and practices, government services, as well as the ethical considerations of widespread technological adoption. Contributions that offer a critical analysis of how digital technologies might mitigate or exacerbate inequalities are especially encouraged.