Social role of algorithms: an analysis of academic studies about the digital algorithms such as social concern

Abstract

Objective: to analyze how the academic studies, presented in scientific articles, constitute about the digital algorithms such as social concern, in the areas of Social Sciences and Humanities, through Project Muse databases, SCOPUS and SciELO.
Methodology: This paper use exploratory and qualitative and it uses the methodological procedures of Content Analysis, carried out in three stages (pre-analysis, exploration of the material and treatment of the data) for the survey and analysis of the documents collected in the databases.
Results: From the survey in the databases, it analyzes 220 selected scientific articles, which bring in their content reflections on the social role of algorithms. Classifies the analyzed articles into 11 categories, grouped by thematic similarity.
Conclusions: Concludes that the theme with the greatest representation among the analyzed articles related to algorithmic customization, together with reflections on opacity, manipulation and algorithmic discrimination, their impacts and influence on human behavior. Understand that the algorithms are not neutral, but reflect and reproduce the discursive formations of each society. Perceives that the reflections and questions about the social role of the algorithms still need research. Announces perspectives for new studies based on the results and investigations present in this research.