Jochem Kootstra is researching the power of digital maps as a tool for social change. His PhD thesis is entitled ‘From Margins to Maps: Digital Counter-Mapping for Social Change’ and is supervised by Prof. Stefania Milan (University of Amsterdam), with Dr. Martijn de Waal (Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences) and Dr. Michael Duggan (King’s College London) as co-supervisors. Jochem is affiliated with the Communication and Multimedia Design (CMD) program.
Making voices heard
“Maps are never neutral. They are often created based on political or commercial interests. But I see the possibility of using maps to make voices heard that would normally remain invisible. That is what drives me in this research.”
In his project, Jochem investigates how marginalized urban communities can use digital counter-maps to make their own knowledge and experiences visible. Based on case studies and a pilot project in Amsterdam, he is developing a framework that shows how citizens can use maps to promote justice and empowerment.
Comenius Teaching Fellows grant
In addition to the PhD grant, Jochem also received a Comenius Teaching Fellows grant for the project ‘Media makers in the platform society: systems thinking for social impact’. This project develops a methodology that enables media and communication students to analyze the social impact of digital platforms systemic and systematically. The methodology combines rapid ethical quickscans with in-depth impact analyses. Students learn to apply systems thinking to platform-specific themes such as privacy, algorithms, data, diversity, and sustainability, enabling them to identify hidden pain points and make responsible choices.