The Influence of Digital Technologies on Power Exercises in Collaborative Practices: A Case of Built Heritage in China

Abstract

With the development of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) and the emergence of digital applications, heritage governance has increasingly enabled broader stakeholder participation. However, the growing use of digitalized collaboration raises concerns about the relative power dynamics among participants and the emergence of new forms of exclusion or domination. This chapter offers a framework for assessing digitally mediated power exercises that consider both sources and arenas of power. I argue that power analysis in digital interfaces should look beyond who can access, but also biased process design and discourse framing; these are usually invisible and even informal. A case study of a digitalized platform for governing heritage in Chongqing, China, is analyzed using this framework. I adopt a methodological approach that combines interviews, content analysis of online data, and policy document analysis. I find that the platform improves access for various participant groups and integrates human and knowledge resources for heritage conservation. However, power inequalities remain evident. Power is exercised primarily through two arenas: Process design and content control. The government mainly uses the platform to improve public services related to heritage protection, reinforce the heritage conservation agenda shared by the government and the NGO (Non-Governmental Organization), absorb citizen dissents, and promote cultural heritage education. Heritage experts and trained NGO members are given priority, whereas general citizens face barriers such as registration requirements and limited outreach. Besides, algorithmic bias amplifies dominant perspectives and limits discursive diversity. The chapter concludes by discussing the implications of digitalized collaborative governance, including the benefits of a multidimensional approach to power, ways of exclusion and domination in digital scenarios, as well as tools for managing power imbalances in digitalized collaborative practices.