Vision statement
„The democratization of technology is not just the democratization of design, it is also the democratization of the social context of the technology and of the language we use to talk about it. When democratization is understood in this broad sense, it becomes a more manageable task, because social structure and language are owned by no one and can be influenced by everyone.”
Philip Brey
Mission statement
Social +1 is a nonprofit organization that aims to make technologies more democratic by challenging the values of technical efficiency and centralized control that have been used as key standpoints in the evolution, assessment and design of technologies. In a context in which unprecedented hierarchies and constellations of power are taking shape under digital conditions, society needs to reinvent its driving forces of innovation through solidarity-based economic models, open and deliberative design, awareness building and creative appropriation. Social +1 supports a human-centered project of digitalization sensitive to issues of subversive rationalization, which favors ethical and responsible choices in the adoption and use of emerging technologies. As long as technologies are powerful resources that mediate forms of knowledge, practices and actions, we should stimulate empowered forms of subjection and participation in the world by paying attention to how people entrust themselves to technologies. Accordingly, Social+1 supports initiatives that deliver technological products and services offering positive returns to society. We consider that innovation is not only technical but social and cultural in its consequences, so that our mission is to put technology to good use and make the world a better place through technological development.
Value statement
Portfolio of projects
DreamTech – The Gamenovel
DreamTech is a soft science-fiction gamenovel that uses a hybrid narrative and symbolic resource accumulation to raise awareness of the social impact of fake news. The storyline is inspired by post-phenomenological concepts and perspectives, thus reflecting an understanding of technology as a mediator between humans and the world. The gamenovel invites players to ponder the processes through which human interactions with technology shape our knowledge of ourselves and the world around us. Through procedural rhetoric, the gamenovel draws attention to the ubiquity of disinformation ecosystems in an interconnected society and suggests that media consumers are inevitably exposed to deceptive and […] Read More »
Poor Dionysus, an interactive novel
“Poor Dionysus” is a gamified book that invites high school students and young people to an explorative reading and open (re)interpretation of classical literature. The digital space hosts a textual game-based application through which young people could simultaneously read and play the work of the Romanian writer Mihai Eminescu. The project resonates with several current innovative practices aimed to encourage reading habits among young people by integrating the philosophy of gamification as an approach to learning. “Poor Dionysus” is designed as an educational product that transforms high school students from passive and captive readers of school-required literary texts to active […] Read More »
Techie teaches soft skills in tech
Techie teaches soft skills in tech (“Cel mai tare de pe net”) is and educational program aimed to prepare Romanian middle school students to make responsible choices when navigating the intricate twists and turns of the digital world. The program is designed as a set of interactive activities that place pupils in situations necessitating an assessment of material, social and symbolic risks resulting from their involvement in digitally-mediated activities. The program aims to teach pupils manage their online identity and reputation by increasing their interaction, communication and collaboration skills and by enabling them to solve problem situations arisen in digital […] Read More »
From ‘tech geek’ to ‘tech founder’
Social+1 conducted impact evaluation and sociological research for Innovation Labs program. Innovation Labs is one of the most important pre-accelerators in Romania. The program targets students and graduates from technical universities and from communication, business and creative fields for the 3-month mentoring adventure of team work, intensive prototype development and mentorship, exploring Romania’s growing startup ecosystem. The participants are empowered to develop proof-of-concept solutions and products using cutting edge tech with the support of top mentors in the ICT and business industry. The sociological research has brought contributions to change management by refining the program model and documenting the multiple […] Read More »