Introduction to Diseña 22: Design, Oppression, and Liberation (2nd issue)

Abstract

This special edition introduces eight papers at the intersec-tion of design, oppression, and liberation. These papers refer to social struc-ture as a common leverage point to criticize and transform different oppression relations, namely racism, gender, marginalization, epistemic injustice, and colonization. The contributions follow recent moves in social movements and social sciences that recognize that tackling different oppression relations enables seeing oppressive structures more clearly. Nurturing solidarity bonds across different oppression struggles becomes an urgent task in this new field of research we call Oppression Studies of Design. Building upon anti-colonial views on oppression, this field connects design research with the history of changing social structures through liberation struggles.