 I just recently published a collaborative journal article in the International Journal of Cultural Studies. I am grateful for this opportunity as I learned so many great lessons along the way. Let me share my experiences.  The article, "Migrant Platformed Subjectivity: Rethinking the mediation of transnational affective economies via digital connectivity services" was published as part of a Special Issue on Digital Media, Migration and Emotion in the International Journal of Cultural Studies. The Special Issue was edited by Sandra Ponzanesi and Donya Alinejad.
The article was a collaboration with Dr Guy Wood-Bradley. The paper builds on my research on the role of digital connectivity services in mobilising relationships between Filipino migrants and thier left-behind family members. In the paper, I combined my critical engagement with digital media and transnational migration with Dr Wood-Bradley's expertise on interface and information technologies. The idea behind the paper started after several conversations and reflections on my own experiences - as a Filipino migrant - in using online channels for sending money and consumer goods to the Philippines. This understanding was also enriched by my years of experiences in doing research on Filipino migration and transnational family life in Australia. Dr. Wood-Bradley then inquired on how interfaces and the elements surrounding these might impact the digital practices at a transnational level. Upon mapping ideas, the paper was drafted. We pitched our abstract proposal to the Special series editors when the CFP was released. In the paper, we deployed a walkthrough method and a discourse analysis of the three case studies - LBC, Western Union, and BaLinkBayan (a Philippine government website for migrant Filipinos). The findings showed that digital connectivity services - commercial and government-based - employs emotive narratives and strategies to construct a certain migrant subjectivity that often aligns with operations of profit making. The paper also advances ways of examining the intersections of digital media and migration by approaching online channels as forms of 'platforms'. Here, we argue that migrants are constructed as 'valued customers' as well as datafied and commodied in a networked and commodified online space. To know more about the research, check out the full publication. We are very thankful for the editors of the special issue, Sandra and Donya. They were very patient and supportive in the completion of our work. We also would like to thank the reviewers for their insightful and helpful feedback. On my end, I specifically benefitted from learning about the work of Peile on digital connectivity services. It was a powerful framework especially for works that unpack and examine platforms and digital practices as tied to broader social, economic, political, and historical conditions. Here is the link of the Special Issue. Here is the link of our article. Reach out to us if you have any feedback. Photo by MJ S on Unsplash
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