For God’s sake! Considering Religious Beliefs in HCI Research : A Case of Islamic HCI

Abstract

HCI community believes in understanding socio-cultural norms and designing for users’ values - both of which can stem from users’ belief systems. Using stories from my research work in an Islamic context, I make a case for how religion can impact HCI research. In particular, I discuss a) the implications of socio-cultural norms and participants’ belief (e.g. hijab or ’veil’) on HCI research in these settings; b) how religion forms users’ individual and collective values and socio-cultural norms that impact users’ understanding, use, or perception of technologies; and c) how our presumptions about a belief system or our value tensions can impact reporting and viewing of such findings. Thus, HCI needs to look beyond engagement with populations to include the belief systems to understand the interpretations, negotiations, and enactments of these values, their implications on our research, and their results.