"I have always been passionate about finding ways to support social inclusion and social mobility of marginalized groups. “ (Patrick Shih)
ILS Assistant Professor, Dr. Patrick C. Shih is the recipient of a Mellon Innovating International Research, Teaching and Collaboration Short Term Faculty Fellowship (MIIRT) grant from the Indiana University Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President. The MIIRT award is “to support new directions in international and area studies that include collaborations locally among faculty in the humanities, social science, and professional schools throughout the Bloomington campus.”
In an email interview, we asked Dr. Shih (1) why he pursued this fellowship, and (2) what was the topic of his proposal. He responded:
"I have always been passionate about finding ways to support social inclusion and social mobility of marginalized groups. I'm fascinated by some of the early reports of grassroots movements for social change in East Asian countries, which is unlike anything we've observed here in the US. I believe that there are cross-cultural lessons that can be used to inform future technological platform interventions and policy changes to better facilitate sustainable and lasting impact in local communities. I'm very excited to carry out this cross-cultural work and to continue bridging with international scholars on the important emerging topic!"
Proposal Abstract:
"Crowdsourcing is the process of obtaining needed ideas and services from people in the online and local communities, typically through an online service exchange platform. Crowdsourcing platforms have afforded the possibility of a new form of a micro-tasking labor workforce in recent years. Research has primarily focused on improving coordination efforts that could result in better task efficiency and lower labor costs. Very little research has been directed at understanding crowd work in countries outside of the U.S. I will observe and interview crowd workers in the U.S., Taiwan, and China to understand their work routine and social rhythm without a well-defined organizational structure. The ultimate long-term goal of this line of research is to understand the cross-cultural differences of crowd work in East Asian countries in comparison to that of the U.S. Findings will be used to design, implement, deploy, and assess the impact of a sustainable community platform that allows crowd workers to communicate, coordinate, and share information while coping with their lifestyle and social needs."
* IU Press Release: Faculty, students at IU Bloomington receive grants for international research, teaching.