Infrastructural practices for sustained participation: Towards equitable public services in the Finnish context

Digitalization in the public sector is largely seen as a democratic move to increase access to public services, but it disproportionally affects marginalized populations, furthering limiting their participation. Furthermore, current methods of participations can be critiqued as either superficial or disengaged from political issues. This doctoral research looks at engaging migrants in the context of a Finnish municipality in participatory infrastructures. The aim is to create agency and political capacity in marginalized groups by engaging them in long-term practices that directly engage with the public sector; thus, building equitable structures of participation. The research looks at results in creating practices and structures that enable equity in the design of digital/hybrid public services.