New Intersections of Internet Research
* Book: Nexus. New Intersections of Internet Research. Ed. by Daniel Araya. Peter Lang, 2010.
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Description
Daniel Araya:
"This edited collection interrogates the current ways mass collaboration intersects with sociocultural, technosocial, and political changes in the context of new social practices. Intertwined with these new practices are questions about the impact of ICTs on established institutions and modes of production. New tools inevitably engender changes in the way people interact, communicate, and collaborate (Wenger, 1998). However, it is increasingly clear that ICTs are now leveraging a unique democratic shift in a wide array of technological, political, and social spaces.
Much like the invention of the printing press, the Internet is radically transforming the most basic elements of modern civilization. The success of mass collaboration in a multitude of contexts poses a challenge, not only to the dominant economic paradigm, but also to a broad range of received social science thinking. There is mounting evidence that new forms of social networking bind people together in highly creative social and economic relationships. People are no longer passive participants in their own economic and cultural production, but are becoming active agents in the production of lived social and political environments.
Contents
Daniel Araya:
Section One explores the Sociocultural Intersections of Internet research. New tools engender changes in the way people and communities interact, communicate, and construct their identities. In this section, we explore the ways in which ICTs enable transformations in existing sociocultural practices.
In Chapter 1, Geneve and Ganito provide insight into two empirical studies
exploring women and technology. They explore women’s participation through a lens
of agency, where they argue that identities are influenced by both enablers and constraints
to conform (to) or transform such influences. They provide an account of
women’s experiences with technology within a specific social context, through the conceptual
categories of the Five Acts of Agency and emerging theory of Digital Agency.
In Chapter 2, Garduño and Cook argue that social networks such Flickr function
as public repositories of personal photography that challenge and democratize
the authority of traditional institutions of memory, like libraries and museums.
Vernacular photography on these systems increases the visibility of individual’s
self-representation. In contrast to institutional collections, members on Flickr selfselect
the subject matter in their photographic contributions, the methods of representation,
and the modes of participation.
In Chapter 3, Petzold and Liao look at linguistic aspects of the Internet and
consider methods to measure this kind of activity on a large scale by using tools that
can help generate this information. Preliminary analysis shows, for example, a relatively
low overlap between Asian and European language versions of Wikipedia.
Thus, they suggest, the concept and measurement of linguistic connectedness
between Wikipedia nodes (different language versions) requires further explanations
for the field of Internet studies.
In Chapter 4, Morieson and Usher consider the possible range of outcomes that
can occur when the institution of news and the communicative possibilities of the
Internet intersect. They explore the important nexus of cultural production and new
communication technology, by mapping the current state of the media in the
United States and Australia. Their aim is to provide a broad overview of the issues
facing news as an institution, with particular reference to the threats and opportunities
afforded by the development of the Internet.
Section Two examines Technosocial Intersections. ICTs have become integral parts of a wide array of sectors. Networked technologies are being used for educational purposes or in order to improve health care delivery. They challenge the traditional media system, and certain phenomena such as personal blogging give birth to new commercial practices. This chapter discusses the wider repercussions ICT use has had on these domains.
In Chapter 5, Monroy-Hernández, Dezuanni, and Kuikkaniemi explore learning
technologies, focusing on the ways young people participate in online and
face-to-face spaces and how this can inform the design of social and creative learning
technologies. In this context they discuss three specific social environments
where young people create interactive media and gain new media literacy skills.
In Chapter 6, Camerini and Nam explore the topic of Internet technology in
the health communication domain, generally referred to as eHealth. They lay out
the implications, positive and negative, of a proliferating adoption of innovative technologies
in bridging the divide between current performance and legitimate expectations
in health care delivery.
In Chapter 7, Hopkins and Thomas locate and analyze a particular nexus in
Malaysian blogging practices: the monetization of blogs, in particular the emergence
of the “Lifestyle” blog. Drawing upon long-term ethnographic research, they consider
the dynamics of this process by alternately using actor-network theory (ANT)
and Bourdieuian field theory to trace relevant material-semiotic traffic between
actors. They conclude by highlighting how social-symbolic capital exchange underwrites
“authenticity” in Malaysian blogging, coming to focus also on how server logs
quantify this capital circulation.
In Chapter 8, Kee, Cradduck, Blodgett, and Olwan provide a theoretically generative
definition of cyberinfrastructure (CI) by drawing from existing definitions
and literature in social sciences, law, and policy studies. They propose two models
of domestic and international influencers on CI emergence, development, and
implementation in the early 21st century. Based on its historical emergence and
computational power, they argue that cyberinfrastructure is built on, and yet distinct
from, the current notion of the Internet. The authors seek to answer two
research questions: firstly, what is cyberinfrastructure? And secondly, what national
and international influencers shape its emergence, development, and implementation
(in e-science) in the early 21st century? Additionally, consideration will be
given to the implications of the proposed definition and models, and future directions
on CI research in Internet studies will be suggested.
Section Three examines political intersections. ICTs engender changes in the way polities construct themselves. In this section, we explore research that examines the ways in which ICTs enable transformations in existing political and policy practices.
In Chapter 9, Breindl and Gustafsson explore the influence of the Internet on
traditional decision-making. While these forms of networked political organisations
are usually perceived as less hierarchical than traditional mobilising groups, they
point out the fact that successful forms of networked digital activism can be heavily
dependent on technical and networking skills. Rather than functioning as the
base of more egalitarian politics, the growing importance of networked political
activism aided by digital media may on the contrary create new elites.
In Chapter 10, Houghton and Chang examine alternate perspectives on hacking,
hacktivism, and cybercrime. Houghton assesses the case of hacktivism concerning
territorial disputes centering on the People’s Republic of China, and contends
that hacktivism is a democratic activity in that it constitutes the emergence of
multiple “neo-Habermasian” counterpublic spheres. In contrast, Chang explores
hacking through a cybercrime lens, assessing difficulties with legislation and institutional
self-protection against cybercrime, and making suggestions for overcoming
these challenges.
In Chapter 11, Araya, Shang, and Liu consider U.S. and Chinese policy in the
context of green innovation and a green economy. Many countries today are aggressively
pursuing green innovation strategies because of the potential social and economic
benefits associated with harnessing green technologies. Looking critically at
economic policies in the U.S. and China, the authors consider current strategies for
advancing green innovation. Much as ICTs have underwritten globalization and
reshaped industrial societies, they argue that ICTs are foundational to a green
economy."
Excerpts
Chapter Five: Designing for Peer Learning and Mentoring in New Media Environments
- Media Literacy in the Facebook Age. Designing Online and Face to Face Learning Environments. By ANDRÉS MONROY-HERNÁNDEZ, MICHAEL DEZUANNI, & KAI KUIKKANIEMI. Chapgter Five of New Intersections in Internet Research.
= We discuss three different social environments where young people engage in developing new media literacy skills through the lens of four phenomena: peer learning, mentoring, unexpected uses of digital tools, and the development of reputation.
Chapter Eight: Cyberinfrastructure
- Cyberinfrastructure Inside Out. Definition and Influences Shaping Its Emergence, Development, and Implementation in the Early 21st Century. By KERK KEE, LUCY CRADDUCK, BRIDGET BLODGETT & RAMI OLWAN. Chapter Eight of the book: Nexus. New Intersections of Internet Research. 2010.
Chapter Nine: Networked Political Activism or the Continuation of Elitism in Competitive Democracy
- Paper: Leetocracy. Networked Political Activism or the Continuation of Elitism in Competitive Democracy. YANA BREINDL & NILS GUSTAFSSON. Chapter Nine of: New Intersections of Internet Research