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Intersecting Social Identity and Drone Use in Humanitarian Contexts: Psychological Insights for Legal Decisions and Responsible Innovation

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

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Intersecting Social Identity and Drone Use in Humanitarian Contexts: Psychological Insights for Legal Decisions and Responsible Innovation. / Kordoni, Anastasia; Levine, Mark; Bennaceur, Amel et al.
In: Journal of Responsible Technology, Vol. 23, 100129, 30.09.2025.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Kordoni, A, Levine, M, Bennaceur, A, Gavidia-Calderon, C & Nuseibeh, B 2025, 'Intersecting Social Identity and Drone Use in Humanitarian Contexts: Psychological Insights for Legal Decisions and Responsible Innovation', Journal of Responsible Technology, vol. 23, 100129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrt.2025.100129

APA

Kordoni, A., Levine, M., Bennaceur, A., Gavidia-Calderon, C., & Nuseibeh, B. (2025). Intersecting Social Identity and Drone Use in Humanitarian Contexts: Psychological Insights for Legal Decisions and Responsible Innovation. Journal of Responsible Technology, 23, Article 100129. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrt.2025.100129

Vancouver

Kordoni A, Levine M, Bennaceur A, Gavidia-Calderon C, Nuseibeh B. Intersecting Social Identity and Drone Use in Humanitarian Contexts: Psychological Insights for Legal Decisions and Responsible Innovation. Journal of Responsible Technology. 2025 Sept 30;23:100129. Epub 2025 Jul 30. doi: 10.1016/j.jrt.2025.100129

Author

Kordoni, Anastasia ; Levine, Mark ; Bennaceur, Amel et al. / Intersecting Social Identity and Drone Use in Humanitarian Contexts : Psychological Insights for Legal Decisions and Responsible Innovation. In: Journal of Responsible Technology. 2025 ; Vol. 23.

Bibtex

@article{68d3d07fae2c405ab5d95cab96da6d80,
title = "Intersecting Social Identity and Drone Use in Humanitarian Contexts: Psychological Insights for Legal Decisions and Responsible Innovation",
abstract = "While the technical and ethical challenges of using drones in Search-and-Rescue operations for transnationally displaced individuals have been explored, how drone footage can shape psychological processes at play and impact post-rescue legal decision-making has been overlooked. This paper investigates how transnationally displaced individuals' social identities are portrayed in court and the role of drone footage in reinforcing these identities. We conducted a discourse analysis of 11 open-access asylum and deportation cases following drone-assisted Search-and-Rescue operations at sea (2015–2021). Our results suggest two primary identity constructions: as victims and as traffickers, each underpinned by conflicting psychological processes. The defence portrayed the defendants through the lens of vulnerability, while the prosecution through unlawfulness. Psychological attributions of drone footage contributed differently to identity portrayal, influencing legal decisions regarding the status and entitlements of transnationally displaced individuals. We discuss the socio-ethical implications of these findings and propose a psychosocial account for responsible innovation in technology mediated humanitarian contexts.",
author = "Anastasia Kordoni and Mark Levine and Amel Bennaceur and Carlos Gavidia-Calderon and Bashar Nuseibeh",
year = "2025",
month = jul,
day = "30",
doi = "10.1016/j.jrt.2025.100129",
language = "English",
volume = "23",
journal = "Journal of Responsible Technology",
issn = "2666-6596",
publisher = "Elsevier Ltd",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Intersecting Social Identity and Drone Use in Humanitarian Contexts

T2 - Psychological Insights for Legal Decisions and Responsible Innovation

AU - Kordoni, Anastasia

AU - Levine, Mark

AU - Bennaceur, Amel

AU - Gavidia-Calderon, Carlos

AU - Nuseibeh, Bashar

PY - 2025/7/30

Y1 - 2025/7/30

N2 - While the technical and ethical challenges of using drones in Search-and-Rescue operations for transnationally displaced individuals have been explored, how drone footage can shape psychological processes at play and impact post-rescue legal decision-making has been overlooked. This paper investigates how transnationally displaced individuals' social identities are portrayed in court and the role of drone footage in reinforcing these identities. We conducted a discourse analysis of 11 open-access asylum and deportation cases following drone-assisted Search-and-Rescue operations at sea (2015–2021). Our results suggest two primary identity constructions: as victims and as traffickers, each underpinned by conflicting psychological processes. The defence portrayed the defendants through the lens of vulnerability, while the prosecution through unlawfulness. Psychological attributions of drone footage contributed differently to identity portrayal, influencing legal decisions regarding the status and entitlements of transnationally displaced individuals. We discuss the socio-ethical implications of these findings and propose a psychosocial account for responsible innovation in technology mediated humanitarian contexts.

AB - While the technical and ethical challenges of using drones in Search-and-Rescue operations for transnationally displaced individuals have been explored, how drone footage can shape psychological processes at play and impact post-rescue legal decision-making has been overlooked. This paper investigates how transnationally displaced individuals' social identities are portrayed in court and the role of drone footage in reinforcing these identities. We conducted a discourse analysis of 11 open-access asylum and deportation cases following drone-assisted Search-and-Rescue operations at sea (2015–2021). Our results suggest two primary identity constructions: as victims and as traffickers, each underpinned by conflicting psychological processes. The defence portrayed the defendants through the lens of vulnerability, while the prosecution through unlawfulness. Psychological attributions of drone footage contributed differently to identity portrayal, influencing legal decisions regarding the status and entitlements of transnationally displaced individuals. We discuss the socio-ethical implications of these findings and propose a psychosocial account for responsible innovation in technology mediated humanitarian contexts.

U2 - 10.1016/j.jrt.2025.100129

DO - 10.1016/j.jrt.2025.100129

M3 - Journal article

VL - 23

JO - Journal of Responsible Technology

JF - Journal of Responsible Technology

SN - 2666-6596

M1 - 100129

ER -