The Shifting Sands of Digital Transformation: Toward an International Political Sociology of Tinkering and Contestation

Abstract International Political Sociology (IPS) needs to engage digital transformation, loosely defined as how digital technologies become part of and re-shape social and political practices, structures, and relationships. We argue that digital transformation is seldom fixed or complete. Rather, it is subject to ongoing mutations and adjustments, based on technological advancements and idiosyncrasies as much as on political programs, struggles, and evolving legal frameworks. We thus propose to understand digital transformation in terms of shifting sands—that is, a dynamic, unstable, and largely unpredictable environment where frequent change makes stability elusive. To grapple with such mutability, we elaborate on the concepts of tinkering and contestation. We do so by drawing on Science and Technology Studies and Jacques Rancière’s work on the (re-)distribution of the sensible. Using empirical illustrations from our previous research on the processing of air travelers’ data for security purposes, we showcase how a focus on tinkering and contestation enriches IPS’s analytical vocabulary and its approach to digital transformation.