Abstract: In this presentation, Ida Marie will suggest a theoretical framework for thinking about the relationship between computation and the humanities as a reciprocal exchange where computational methods and humanistic ways of knowing can meaningfully transform one another.

This is done in order to counter two existing narratives within digital humanities: either computational methods are treated as neutral instruments under the researcher’s control, or they are seen as inherently reductive, inevitably limiting our capacity for critical interpretation. She will argue that this framing rests on a false dichotomy. Drawing on Joseph Rouse’s practice-oriented philosophy of science and Judith Butler’s notion of performativity as an iterated doings, she proposes a performative understanding of computational methods that challenges both views. This will allow us to see how power is inherently part of what and how we do research.