Reapplication or replication? transformations of technology and of the palmas social currency throughout the e-dinheiro platform

Abstract From the perspective that Social Technologies (STs) are built with community participation and are not simply solutions transferred from one reality to another, and given the tendency for social currencies to be digitalized in several countries, the following question arises: What are the gains and losses of digitalizing the social currencies of Community Development Banks (CDBs) in Brazil regarding the reapplication of these Social Technologies? To answer this question, we look at the case of Palmas, a social currency recognized as a Social Technology, and present its history and digitalization process. To do this, we turn to the literature on Social Technology and that relating to the case under analysis. In addition, we incorporated data available from an ongoing national survey. This study indicates that, although the digitalization of social currencies can bring several benefits to their users, how their dissemination process has taken place can de-characterize them as a Social Technology. However, they continue to represent an artifact aimed at social purposes. Some scholars discuss that the social transformation of the territory and the empowerment of its inhabitants occur in the reapplication process, ensuring social currency as a democratic and emancipatory Social Technology. This study is especially relevant in light of the recent proposal for Bill N° 4476/2023, which aims to regulate social currencies in Brazil, since the content of this proposal shows a lack of knowledge of the history, context, and concept of social currency and technologies that are effectively social, which could create extra challenges for communities to take ownership, an indispensable characteristic for a genuine Social Technology with the potential for social transformation.