Social Informatics: A New Perspective on Social Research about Information and Communication Technologies

Kling, Rob

doi:10.1080/713692067

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Prometheus

Volume 18, Issue 3

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Social Informatics: A New Perspective on Social Research about Information and Communication Technologies

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Author(s): Rob Kling

Publication date (Print): September 2000

Journal: Prometheus

Publisher: Pluto Journals

Keywords: Electronic Journals, Information And Communication Technologies, Intranets, Networks, Social Informatics

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Abstract

Social informatics is the body of research that examines the design, uses and consequences of information and communication technologies in ways that take into account their interaction with institutional and cultural contexts. This article draws upon some 25 years of systematic, analytical and critical research about information and communication technologies (ICTs) and social change to illustrate key ideas from social informatics research.

Content

Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (publisher-id): cpro20

Journal ID (archive): CPRO

Title: Prometheus

Subtitle: Critical Studies in Innovation

Publisher: Pluto Journals

ISSN (Print): 0810-9028

ISSN (Electronic): 1470-1030

Publication date (Print): September 2000

Volume: 18

Issue: 3

Pages: 245-264

Article

Publisher ID: 10032387 Coden ID: Prometheus, Vol. 18, No. 3, September 2000, pp. 245-264

DOI: 10.1080/713692067

SO-VID: 992c210a-79a7-4c71-9f26-d31d6296ce4e

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All content is freely available without charge to users or their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission of the publisher or the author. Articles published in the journal are distributed under a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

History

Page count

Figures: 0, Tables: 0, References: 48, Pages: 20

References

Kling R.. 1999. . 'What is social informatics and why does it matter?'. . D-Lib Magazine . , Vol. 5:: 1
Noam E.. 1995. . 'Electronics and the dim future of the university'. . Science . , Vol. 270:: 247––49. .
Hamad S.. 1991. . 'Post-Gutenberg galaxy: The fourth revolution in the means of production of knowledge'. . Public-Access Computer Systems Review . , Vol. 2((1)): 39––53. .
Fuller S.. 1995. . 'Cyherplatonisim: An inadequate constitution for The Republic Of Science'. . The Information Society . , Vol. 11((4)): 293––303. .
Kling R. . 1980. . 'Social analyses of computing: Theoretical perspectives in recent empirical research'. . Computing Surveys . , Vol. 12((1)): 61––110. .
Attewell P.. 1987. . 'The deskilling controversy. . Work and Occupation . , Vol. 14((3)): 323––46. .
Iacono S. and Kling R.. 1987. . “'Changing office technologies and the transformation of clerical jobs'. ”. In Technology and the Transformation of While Collar Work . , Edited by: Kraut R.. Hillsdale , NJ : : Erlbaum. .
King J. L.. 1983. . 'Centralized versus decentralized computing: Organizational considerations and management options'. . Computing Surveys . , Vol. 15((4)): 320––49. .
George J. F. and King J. L.. 1991. . 'Examining the computing and centralization debate'. . Communications of the ACM . , Vol. 34((7)): 62––72. .
Edwards P. N.. 1998. . 'Y2K: Millennial reflections on computers as infrastructure'. . History and Technology . , Vol. 15:: 7––29. .
Kling R and Dutton W.. 1982. . “'The computer package, dynamic complexity'. ”. In Computers and Politics: High Technology in American Local Governments . , Edited by: Danzinger J. N., Dutton W. H., Kling R. and Kraemer K. L.. New York : : Columbia University Press. .
Kling R and Scacchi W.. 1982. . “'The web of computing: Computing technology as social organization'. ”. In Advances in Computers . , Vol. Vol. 21. , New York : : Academic Press. .
Kling R.. 1992. . “'Behind the terminal: The critical role of computing infrastructure in effective information systems' development and use'. ”. In Challenges and Strategfes for Research in Systems Development . , Edited by: Cotterman W. and Senn J.. p. 153––201. . New York : : Wiley. .
Edwards P.. 1994. . “'From "Impact" to social process: Computers in society and culture'. ”. In Handbook of Science and Technology Studies . , Edited by: Jasanoffet S.. Beverly Hills , CA : : Sage Publications. .
Kling R. and Jewett T.. 1994. . “'The social design of worklife with computers and networks: An open natural systems perspective'. ”. In Advances in Computers . , Edited by: Yovits M.. Vol. Vol. 39. , p. 239––93. . Orlando , FL : : Academic Press. .
Kling R. and Lamb R.. “'IT and organizational change in digital economies: A socio-technical approach'. ”. In Understanding the Digital Economy. Data, Tools and Research . , Edited by: Kahin B. and Brynjolfsson E.. Cambridge , MA : : MIT Press. .
Strum S. and Latour B.. “'Redefining the social link: From baboons to humans'. ”. Edited by: MacKenzie and Wajcman. .
Kling R and Covi L.. 1995. . 'Electronic journals and legitimate media in the systems of scholarly communication'. . The Information Society . , Vol. 11((4)): 261––71. .
Hibbitts B.. 1996. . 'Last writes: The Law Review in the age of Cyberspace, 1996. . Forst Monday . , Vol. 1((3))
Hibbitts B.. 1997. . 'E-journals, archives and knowledge networks: A commentary on Archie Zariski's defense of electronic law journals'. . First Monday . , Vol. 2((7))
Zariski A.. 1997. . 'Never ending, still beginning: A defense of electronic law journals from the perspective of the E-law experience'. . First Monday . , Vol. 2((6))
Zariski A.. 1997. . 'Knowledge networks of discourse communities?: Response to Hibbitts' Commentary on electronic journals'. . First Monday . , Vol. 2((8))
Lamb R.. 1996. . 'Informational imperatives and socially mediated relationships. . The Information Society . , Vol. 12((1)): 17––37. .
Robey D.. 1997. . “'The paradox of transformation: Using contradictory logic to manage the organizational consequences of information technology'. ”. In Steps to the Future: Fresh Thinking an the Dynamics of Organizational Transformation . , Edited by: Sauer C. and Yetton P.. San Francisco : : Jossey-Bass. .
Markus M. L. and Keil M.. 1994. . 'If we build it, they will come: Designing information systems that people want to use'. . Sloan Management Review . , Vol. 35((4)): 11––25. .
Suchman L.. 1996. . “'Supporting articulation work: Aspects of a feminist practice office technology production'. ”. Edited by: Kling. .
Stix G.. 1994. . 'Aging airways'. . Scientific American . , Vol. 270((5)): 96––104. .
Kahin B. and Keller J.. 1995. . Public Access to the Internet . , Cambridge , MA : : MIT Press. .
Hoffman D. L., Kalsbeek W. D. and Novak T. P.. 1996. . Internet and Web Use in the United States: Baselines for Commercial Development . , (Project 2000 Working Paper). Owen Graduate School, Vanderbilt University. .
McConnaughey J. and Lader W.. 1998. . Falling Through the Net II: New Data on the Digital Divide . , Washington, DC : : National Telecommunications and Information Administration. .
National Telecommunications and Information Administration. . 1999. . Falling Through the Net: Defining the Digital Divide . Washington DC :
National Research Council. . 1997. . More Than Screen Deep: Toward Every-Citizen Interfaces to the Nation's Information Infrastructure . , Washington, DC : : National Academy Press. .
Kiesler S., Kraut R., Mukhopadhyay T. and Scherlis W.. 1997. . Homenet Overview: Recent Results from a Field Trial of Residential Internet Use . , Pittsburgh , PA : : Carnegie Mellon University. .
Kling R.. 1999. . 'Can the "Next Generation Internet" effectively support ordinary citizens?'. . The Information Society . , Vol. 15((1)): 57––63. .
Star S. L. and Ruhleder K.. 1996. . 'Steps towards an ecology of infrastructure: Design and access for large-scale collaborative systems'. . Information Systems Research . , Vol. 7:: 111––38. .
Haddon L. and Silverstone R.. “'The domestication of ICTs: Households, families, and technical change'. ”. Edited by: Mansell and Silverstone. .
Hu X. H., Markson L. E., Lipton R B., Stewart W. F. and Berger M. L.. 1999. . 'Burden of Migraine in the United States: Disability and Economic Costs'. . Archives of Internal Medicine . , Vol. 159:: 813––818. .
Kling R. . 1993. . Organizational analysis in computer science'. . The Information Society . , Vol. 9((2)): 71––87. .
Kling R and Allen J. P.. 1996. . “'Can computer science solve organizational problems?: The case for organizational informatics'. ”. Edited by: Kling. .
Kling R., Crawford H., Rosenbaum H., Sawyer S. and Weisband S.. 2000. . Learning from Social Informatics: Information and Communication Technologies in Human Contexts . , Bloomington , IN : : Center for Social Informatics, Indiana University. .
Iacono C. S. and Weisband S.. 'Developing trust in virtual teams'. In: . Proceedings of the Hawaii International Confirmee on Systems Sciences; . Hawaii . .
Kling R. and McKim G.. 'Not just a matter of time: Field differences and the shaping of electronic media in supporting scientific communication'. . Journal of the American Society for Information Science . , Vol. 51:14
Orlikowski W. J.. 1993. . 'Learning from notes: Organizational issues in GroupWare implementation'. . The Information Society . , Vol. 9((3)): 237––50. .
Kling R.. , ed. 1996. . Computerization and Controversy: Value Conflicts and Social Choices, . , 2nd edn. , San Diego : : Academic Press. .
Kirkpatrick D.. 1993. . 'GroupWare goes boom: Effects of GroupWare software packages on corporations'. . Fortune . , Vol. 12B((16)): 99––103. .
Davenport T.. 1997. . Knowledge Management Case Study: Knowledge Management at Ernst & Young .

Comments

Comment on this article

[1] Kling R.. 1999. . 'What is social informatics and why does it matter?'. . D-Lib Magazine . , Vol. 5:: 1

[2] Noam E.. 1995. . 'Electronics and the dim future of the university'. . Science . , Vol. 270:: 247––49. .

[3] Hamad S.. 1991. . 'Post-Gutenberg galaxy: The fourth revolution in the means of production of knowledge'. . Public-Access Computer Systems Review . , Vol. 2((1)): 39––53. .

[4] Fuller S.. 1995. . 'Cyherplatonisim: An inadequate constitution for The Republic Of Science'. . The Information Society . , Vol. 11((4)): 293––303. .

[5] Kling R. . 1980. . 'Social analyses of computing: Theoretical perspectives in recent empirical research'. . Computing Surveys . , Vol. 12((1)): 61––110. .

[6] Attewell P.. 1987. . 'The deskilling controversy. . Work and Occupation . , Vol. 14((3)): 323––46. .

[7] Iacono S. and Kling R.. 1987. . “'Changing office technologies and the transformation of clerical jobs'. ”. In Technology and the Transformation of While Collar Work . , Edited by: Kraut R.. Hillsdale , NJ : : Erlbaum. .

[8] King J. L.. 1983. . 'Centralized versus decentralized computing: Organizational considerations and management options'. . Computing Surveys . , Vol. 15((4)): 320––49. .

[9] George J. F. and King J. L.. 1991. . 'Examining the computing and centralization debate'. . Communications of the ACM . , Vol. 34((7)): 62––72. .

[10] Edwards P. N.. 1998. . 'Y2K: Millennial reflections on computers as infrastructure'. . History and Technology . , Vol. 15:: 7––29. .

[11] Kling R and Dutton W.. 1982. . “'The computer package, dynamic complexity'. ”. In Computers and Politics: High Technology in American Local Governments . , Edited by: Danzinger J. N., Dutton W. H., Kling R. and Kraemer K. L.. New York : : Columbia University Press. .

[12] Kling R and Scacchi W.. 1982. . “'The web of computing: Computing technology as social organization'. ”. In Advances in Computers . , Vol. Vol. 21. , New York : : Academic Press. .

[13] Kling R.. 1992. . “'Behind the terminal: The critical role of computing infrastructure in effective information systems' development and use'. ”. In Challenges and Strategfes for Research in Systems Development . , Edited by: Cotterman W. and Senn J.. p. 153––201. . New York : : Wiley. .

[14] Edwards P.. 1994. . “'From "Impact" to social process: Computers in society and culture'. ”. In Handbook of Science and Technology Studies . , Edited by: Jasanoffet S.. Beverly Hills , CA : : Sage Publications. .

[15] Kling R. and Jewett T.. 1994. . “'The social design of worklife with computers and networks: An open natural systems perspective'. ”. In Advances in Computers . , Edited by: Yovits M.. Vol. Vol. 39. , p. 239––93. . Orlando , FL : : Academic Press. .

[16] Kling R. and Lamb R.. “'IT and organizational change in digital economies: A socio-technical approach'. ”. In Understanding the Digital Economy. Data, Tools and Research . , Edited by: Kahin B. and Brynjolfsson E.. Cambridge , MA : : MIT Press. .

[17] Strum S. and Latour B.. “'Redefining the social link: From baboons to humans'. ”. Edited by: MacKenzie and Wajcman. .

[18] Kling R and Covi L.. 1995. . 'Electronic journals and legitimate media in the systems of scholarly communication'. . The Information Society . , Vol. 11((4)): 261––71. .

[19] Hibbitts B.. 1996. . 'Last writes: The Law Review in the age of Cyberspace, 1996. . Forst Monday . , Vol. 1((3))

[20] Hibbitts B.. 1997. . 'E-journals, archives and knowledge networks: A commentary on Archie Zariski's defense of electronic law journals'. . First Monday . , Vol. 2((7))

[21] Zariski A.. 1997. . 'Never ending, still beginning: A defense of electronic law journals from the perspective of the E-law experience'. . First Monday . , Vol. 2((6))

[22] Zariski A.. 1997. . 'Knowledge networks of discourse communities?: Response to Hibbitts' Commentary on electronic journals'. . First Monday . , Vol. 2((8))

[23] Lamb R.. 1996. . 'Informational imperatives and socially mediated relationships. . The Information Society . , Vol. 12((1)): 17––37. .

[24] Robey D.. 1997. . “'The paradox of transformation: Using contradictory logic to manage the organizational consequences of information technology'. ”. In Steps to the Future: Fresh Thinking an the Dynamics of Organizational Transformation . , Edited by: Sauer C. and Yetton P.. San Francisco : : Jossey-Bass. .

[25] Markus M. L. and Keil M.. 1994. . 'If we build it, they will come: Designing information systems that people want to use'. . Sloan Management Review . , Vol. 35((4)): 11––25. .

[26] Suchman L.. 1996. . “'Supporting articulation work: Aspects of a feminist practice office technology production'. ”. Edited by: Kling. .

[27] Stix G.. 1994. . 'Aging airways'. . Scientific American . , Vol. 270((5)): 96––104. .

[28] Kahin B. and Keller J.. 1995. . Public Access to the Internet . , Cambridge , MA : : MIT Press. .

[30] Hoffman D. L., Kalsbeek W. D. and Novak T. P.. 1996. . Internet and Web Use in the United States: Baselines for Commercial Development . , (Project 2000 Working Paper). Owen Graduate School, Vanderbilt University. .

[31] McConnaughey J. and Lader W.. 1998. . Falling Through the Net II: New Data on the Digital Divide . , Washington, DC : : National Telecommunications and Information Administration. .

[32] National Telecommunications and Information Administration. . 1999. . Falling Through the Net: Defining the Digital Divide . Washington DC :

[33] National Research Council. . 1997. . More Than Screen Deep: Toward Every-Citizen Interfaces to the Nation's Information Infrastructure . , Washington, DC : : National Academy Press. .

[34] Kiesler S., Kraut R., Mukhopadhyay T. and Scherlis W.. 1997. . Homenet Overview: Recent Results from a Field Trial of Residential Internet Use . , Pittsburgh , PA : : Carnegie Mellon University. .

[36] Kling R.. 1999. . 'Can the "Next Generation Internet" effectively support ordinary citizens?'. . The Information Society . , Vol. 15((1)): 57––63. .

[37] Star S. L. and Ruhleder K.. 1996. . 'Steps towards an ecology of infrastructure: Design and access for large-scale collaborative systems'. . Information Systems Research . , Vol. 7:: 111––38. .

[38] Haddon L. and Silverstone R.. “'The domestication of ICTs: Households, families, and technical change'. ”. Edited by: Mansell and Silverstone. .

[39] Hu X. H., Markson L. E., Lipton R B., Stewart W. F. and Berger M. L.. 1999. . 'Burden of Migraine in the United States: Disability and Economic Costs'. . Archives of Internal Medicine . , Vol. 159:: 813––818. .

[40] Kling R. . 1993. . Organizational analysis in computer science'. . The Information Society . , Vol. 9((2)): 71––87. .

[41] Kling R and Allen J. P.. 1996. . “'Can computer science solve organizational problems?: The case for organizational informatics'. ”. Edited by: Kling. .

[42] Kling R., Crawford H., Rosenbaum H., Sawyer S. and Weisband S.. 2000. . Learning from Social Informatics: Information and Communication Technologies in Human Contexts . , Bloomington , IN : : Center for Social Informatics, Indiana University. .

[43] Iacono C. S. and Weisband S.. 'Developing trust in virtual teams'. In: . Proceedings of the Hawaii International Confirmee on Systems Sciences; . Hawaii . .

[44] Kling R. and McKim G.. 'Not just a matter of time: Field differences and the shaping of electronic media in supporting scientific communication'. . Journal of the American Society for Information Science . , Vol. 51:14

[45] Orlikowski W. J.. 1993. . 'Learning from notes: Organizational issues in GroupWare implementation'. . The Information Society . , Vol. 9((3)): 237––50. .

[46] Kling R.. , ed. 1996. . Computerization and Controversy: Value Conflicts and Social Choices, . , 2nd edn. , San Diego : : Academic Press. .

[47] Kirkpatrick D.. 1993. . 'GroupWare goes boom: Effects of GroupWare software packages on corporations'. . Fortune . , Vol. 12B((16)): 99––103. .

[48] Davenport T.. 1997. . Knowledge Management Case Study: Knowledge Management at Ernst & Young .

Prometheus

Social Informatics: A New Perspective on Social Research about Information and Communication Technologies

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