This talk introduces a novel social lab framework for researching digital inclusion among vulnerable communities, with a particular focus on migrants and ethnic minorities. Developed in response to the persistent marginalisation of these groups in both digital systems and
research agendas, the framework is grounded in intersectionality and Foucauldian theory, and shaped by a decolonial epistemology that centres lived experience, power relations, and
plural ways of knowing. Drawing on a 2024 study, I demonstrate how the framework enables a rich, multi-level
exploration of the “digital good” across four life domains: health, social welfare, education, and social networking. Participants, including migrants and ethnic minorities, shared
complex, often ambivalent experiences of digital technologies—as sources of empowerment,
but also exclusion. Their recommendations called for culturally responsive support, inclusive
design, and greater recognition of community-based knowledge and informal expertise. The findings highlight the value of the social lab as a participatory, interdisciplinary space for
generating grounded insights and practical interventions. More broadly, the framework offers
a new direction for digital inclusion research—one that brings the digital lives of vulnerable
communities such as migrants and ethnic minorities from the margins to the centre of
scholarly and policy attention.

Speaker Details
Prof. Panayiota Tsatsou (PhD, SFHEA)  
Professor in Media Diversity  Co-Chair of the IAMCR Working Group ‘Inclusive Communication and PwDs’ Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity 
Department of English and Media Birmingham City University
E: panayiota.tsatsou@bcu.ac.uk