Social Informatics - Computerization and Its Impacts - Lecture Slides, Slides of Computer Applications

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Social Informatics

Social Impacts of Technological Advances

social informatics defined:

• ”The body of research and study that

examines social aspects of information

and communication technologies,

particularly computerization.”

• [Kling, Rosenbaum & Hert, 1998]

other terms for social informatics

• social impacts of computing
• social analysis of computing
• studies of computer-mediated communication [CMC]
• information policy
• computers and society
• organizational informatics

social informatics acknowledges that the

relationship between technology and

people is

RECIPROCAL

History of Social Informatics

• concern over the relationship between society and technology is not new
• invention of printing in the 15th century redefined society and reshaped Western culture - Provenzo, 1986

• the label “social informatics” emerged from a 1996 workshop at UCLA on the social aspects of digital libraries
• the label was developed in order to characterize the interests and serve as a banner for the research efforts of this field

Viewpoints within and about Social Informatics Issues

• the computerization of society is generally destructive, insidious and de-humanizing - Postman, 1993
• computerization is leading to a transformation of a new civilization - Hillis, 1998

• interactive computer-mediated environments lead to a destructive fragmentation of the self - Turkle, 1995
• computerization of society leads to social fragmentation between the information haves and the information have-nots - Johnson, 1997

• occupations and occupational roles must change with the technological advances, but this also causes a displacement in the society of workers who can keep up and those who can not - Bradley, 1993

• social informatics matters--it has important repercussions for public policy, professional practice, and the education of information technology professionals
• it is important to understand the design, use, configuration, and /or consequences of information and communication technologies so that they are actually workable for people - Kling, 1999

• multiple agendas can be problematic and confusing for those concerned with the social aspects of technological advance
• how can this research inform practice for the manager?

Why should the Manager be Conversant in

Social Informatics?

• As managers we must manage and

interact with information, the technology

that provides access to that information

and the people who must use that

information productively

The Flip Side of this Problem is…

• the multiplicity of agendas can contribute to a synergy of interdisciplinary conversations that motivate research

Key Social Informatics Concepts

• technological access: physical availability of suitable equipment for a given activity
• social access: a mixture of technical skills and resources that allows the individual to use technologies in ways that enhance professional practices and social life