Social informatics
Encyclopedia
Social informatics is the study of information and communication tools
in cultural, or institutional contexts (Kling, Rosenbaum, & Sawyer, 2005). Another definition is the interdisciplinary study of the design, uses and consequences of information technologies that takes into account their interaction with institutional and cultural contexts (Kling, "What is Social Informatics and Why Does it Matter?"). A transdisciplinary field, (Sawyer & Rosenbaum, 2000, p. 90) social informatics is part of a larger body of socio-economic research that examines the ways in which the technological artifact and human social context mutually constitute the information and communications technology (ICT) ensemble. Some proponents of social informatics use the relationship of a biological
community
to its environment
as an analogy
for the relationship of tools to people
who use them. The Center for Social Informatics founded by the late Dr. Rob Kling
, an early champion of the field’s ideas, defines the field thus:
Social informatics research diverges from earlier, deterministic (both social and technological) models for measuring the social impacts of technology. Such technological deterministic models characterized information technologies as tools to be installed and used with a pre-determined set of impacts on society dictated by the technology’s stated capabilities (Williams & Edge, 1996). Similarly, the socially deterministic theory represented by some proponents of the social construction of technology (SCOT)
or social shaping of technology
theory as advocated by Williams & Edge (1996) see technology as the product of human social forces. In contrast, some social informatics methodologies consider the context surrounding technology and the material properties of the technology to be equally important: the people who will interact with a system, the organizational policies governing work practice, and support resources. This contextual inquiry produces “nuanced concept
ual understanding” of systems that can be used to examine issues like access to technology, electronic forms of communication
, and large-scale networks (Kling, 2000). .
Research in social informatics can be categorized into three orientations (Sawyer & Rosenbaum, 2000, p. 90). Normative
research focuses on the development of theories based on empirical
analysis that may be used to develop organizational policies and work practices (Kling, 2000, p. 228). The heart of such analyses lies in socio-technical interaction networks (Kling, 2000, p. 219), a framework built around the idea that humans and the technologies they build are “co-constitutive
”, bound together, and that any examination of one must necessarily consider the other. Studies of the analytical orientation develop theory or define methodologies to contribute to theorizing in institutional settings (Kling, 2000, p. 229, note 1). Critical analysis, like Lucy Suchman
’s examination of articulation work (1994), examine technological solutions from non-traditional perspectives in order to influence design and implementation (Kling, 200, p. 229, note 1; Sawyer & Rosenbaum, 2000, p. 90).
. This observation, coupled with the many fields that contribute research, suggest a future in which social informatics theories and concepts settle to form a substrate, an “indispensable analytical foundation” (Kling, 2000, p. 229) for work in other disciplines.
(Europe) and Web Sociology (Kling, 1999). In some instances there might be a lack of understanding of why teaching social issues of computing is important, both by individual lecturers and students, resulting in a view that Social Informatics is boring and without importance (Godejord, 2007). Some researchers have pointed out that in order to create awareness of the importance of social issues of computing, one has to focus on didactics
of Social Informatics (Godejord, 2007).
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
in cultural, or institutional contexts (Kling, Rosenbaum, & Sawyer, 2005). Another definition is the interdisciplinary study of the design, uses and consequences of information technologies that takes into account their interaction with institutional and cultural contexts (Kling, "What is Social Informatics and Why Does it Matter?"). A transdisciplinary field, (Sawyer & Rosenbaum, 2000, p. 90) social informatics is part of a larger body of socio-economic research that examines the ways in which the technological artifact and human social context mutually constitute the information and communications technology (ICT) ensemble. Some proponents of social informatics use the relationship of a biological
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
to its environment
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
as an analogy
Analogy
Analogy is a cognitive process of transferring information or meaning from a particular subject to another particular subject , and a linguistic expression corresponding to such a process...
for the relationship of tools to people
Person
A person is a human being, or an entity that has certain capacities or attributes strongly associated with being human , for example in a particular moral or legal context...
who use them. The Center for Social Informatics founded by the late Dr. Rob Kling
Rob Kling
Rob Kling, PhD was a North American professor of Information Systems and Information science at the School of Library and Information Science and Adjunct Professor of Computer Science, Indiana University, USA. He directed the interdisciplinary Center for Social Informatics , at Indiana University...
, an early champion of the field’s ideas, defines the field thus:
- Social Informatics (SI) refers to the body of research and study that examines social aspects of computerization – including the roles of information technology in social and organizational change, the uses of information technologies in social contexts, and the ways that the social organization of information technologies is influenced by social forces and social practices. http://rkcsi.indiana.edu/
Research
Historically, social informatics research has been strong in the Scandinavian countries, the UK and Northern Europe (Williams & Edge, 1996, section 1; Sawyer & Rosenbaum, 2000, p. 93). Within North America, the field is represented largely through independent research efforts at a number of diverse institutions (Saywer & Rosenbaum, p. 93).Social informatics research diverges from earlier, deterministic (both social and technological) models for measuring the social impacts of technology. Such technological deterministic models characterized information technologies as tools to be installed and used with a pre-determined set of impacts on society dictated by the technology’s stated capabilities (Williams & Edge, 1996). Similarly, the socially deterministic theory represented by some proponents of the social construction of technology (SCOT)
Social construction of technology
Social construction of technology is a theory within the field of Science and Technology Studies. Advocates of SCOT -- that is, social constructivists -- argue that technology does not determine human action, but that rather, human action shapes technology...
or social shaping of technology
Social shaping of technology
According to , "Central to Social Shaping of Technology is the concept that there are `choices' inherent in both the design of individual artifacts and systems, and in the direction or trajectory of innovation programs."If technology does not emerge from the unfolding of a predetermined logic or...
theory as advocated by Williams & Edge (1996) see technology as the product of human social forces. In contrast, some social informatics methodologies consider the context surrounding technology and the material properties of the technology to be equally important: the people who will interact with a system, the organizational policies governing work practice, and support resources. This contextual inquiry produces “nuanced concept
Concept
The word concept is used in ordinary language as well as in almost all academic disciplines. Particularly in philosophy, psychology and cognitive sciences the term is much used and much discussed. WordNet defines concept: "conception, construct ". However, the meaning of the term concept is much...
ual understanding” of systems that can be used to examine issues like access to technology, electronic forms of communication
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
, and large-scale networks (Kling, 2000). .
Research in social informatics can be categorized into three orientations (Sawyer & Rosenbaum, 2000, p. 90). Normative
Norm (sociology)
Social norms are the accepted behaviors within a society or group. This sociological and social psychological term has been defined as "the rules that a group uses for appropriate and inappropriate values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. These rules may be explicit or implicit...
research focuses on the development of theories based on empirical
Empirical
The word empirical denotes information gained by means of observation or experimentation. Empirical data are data produced by an experiment or observation....
analysis that may be used to develop organizational policies and work practices (Kling, 2000, p. 228). The heart of such analyses lies in socio-technical interaction networks (Kling, 2000, p. 219), a framework built around the idea that humans and the technologies they build are “co-constitutive
Coconstitutionalism
Coconstitutionalism is where two institutional cultures exist in a complex semi-autonomous relationship to each other. The model of asymmetrical devolution that has emerged in democratic Spain has been called "coconstitutional" in that it is neither a federal nor a unitary model of government:...
”, bound together, and that any examination of one must necessarily consider the other. Studies of the analytical orientation develop theory or define methodologies to contribute to theorizing in institutional settings (Kling, 2000, p. 229, note 1). Critical analysis, like Lucy Suchman
Lucy Suchman
Lucy Suchman is a full Professor of Anthropology of Science and Technology in the Department of Sociology at Lancaster University, in the United Kingdom...
’s examination of articulation work (1994), examine technological solutions from non-traditional perspectives in order to influence design and implementation (Kling, 200, p. 229, note 1; Sawyer & Rosenbaum, 2000, p. 90).
Future
Social informatics is a young intellectual movement and its future is still being defined. However, because SST theorists such as Williams and Edge suggest that the amorphous boundaries between humans and technology that emerge in social shaping technology research indicate that technology is not a distinct social endeavor worthy of individual study (1996, section 6, para. 5), indicating that there is a need for social informatics research that bridges the gap between technological and social determinismDeterminism
Determinism is the general philosophical thesis that states that for everything that happens there are conditions such that, given them, nothing else could happen. There are many versions of this thesis. Each of them rests upon various alleged connections, and interdependencies of things and...
. This observation, coupled with the many fields that contribute research, suggest a future in which social informatics theories and concepts settle to form a substrate, an “indispensable analytical foundation” (Kling, 2000, p. 229) for work in other disciplines.
Social Informatics in education
Social Informatics is also about teaching social issues of computing to Computer Science students (Kling & Jewet,1996). Depending on educational traditions, social informatics is scattered in the curriculum of different disciplines, as well as in Computer Science, Information Science, InformaticsInformatics (academic field)
Informatics is the science of information, the practice of information processing, and the engineering of information systems. Informatics studies the structure, algorithms, behavior, and interactions of natural and artificial systems that store, process, access and communicate information...
(Europe) and Web Sociology (Kling, 1999). In some instances there might be a lack of understanding of why teaching social issues of computing is important, both by individual lecturers and students, resulting in a view that Social Informatics is boring and without importance (Godejord, 2007). Some researchers have pointed out that in order to create awareness of the importance of social issues of computing, one has to focus on didactics
Didactics
A didactic method is a teaching method that follows a consistent scientific approach or educational style to engage the student’s mind.The didactic method of instruction is often contrasted with dialectics and the Socratic method; the term can also be used to refer to a specific didactic method,...
of Social Informatics (Godejord, 2007).
See also
- Community informaticsCommunity informaticsCommunity informatics , also known as community networking, electronic community networking, community-based technologies or community technology refers to an emerging field of investigation and practice concerned with principles and norms related to information and communication technology with...
- E-Social ScienceE-Social Sciencee-Social Science is a more recent development in conjunction with the wider developments in e-Science. It is social science using Grid Computing and other information technologies to collect, process, integrate, share, and disseminate social and behavioral data.-External links:***National Centre...
- Computer-mediated communicationComputer-mediated communicationComputer-mediated communication is defined as any communicative transaction that occurs through the use of two or more networked computers...
- Hyperpersonal ModelHyperpersonal ModelThe hyperpersonal model is an interpersonal communication theory that suggests that computer-mediated communication can become hyperpersonal because it affords message senders a host of communicative advantages over traditional face-to-face interaction...
- InformaticsInformatics (academic field)Informatics is the science of information, the practice of information processing, and the engineering of information systems. Informatics studies the structure, algorithms, behavior, and interactions of natural and artificial systems that store, process, access and communicate information...
- Social Study of Information SystemsSocial Study of Information SystemsMost simply The Social Study of Information Systems is interested in people developing and using technology and the "culture" of those people.SSIS studies these phenomena by drawing on and using "lenses" provided by social sciences, including: Philosophy, Sociology, Social Psychology,...
- Social Identity model of Deindividuation Effects (SIDE)
- Social Information Processing theorySocial Information Processing theorySocial information processing theory is an interpersonal communication theory which proposes that given time and opportunity to interact, relationships between individuals can form in online environments and that online interpersonal relationship development might require more time to develop...
- Sociology of the InternetSociology of the InternetThe sociology of the Internet involves the application of sociological theory and method to the Internet as a source of information and communication...
Online Resources
- Rob Kling Center for Social Informatics, Indiana University, USA
- Social Informatics.org, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Social Informatics Resources, Nesna University College, Norway
- Centre for Knowledge Dynamics and Decision Making, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa