The Social Study of Information and Communication Technology: Innovation, Actors, and Contexts

As Ict's Permeate Every Sphere Of Society-business, Education, Leisure, Government, Etc., It Is Important To Reflect The Character And Complexity Of The Interaction Between People And Computer, Between Society And Technology. For Example, The User May Represent A Much Broader Set Of Actors Than 'the User' Conventionally Found In Many Texts: The Operator, The Customer, The Citizen, The Gendered Individual, The Entrepreneur, The 'poor', The Student. Each Actor Uses Ict In Different Ways. This Book Examines These Issues, Deploying A Number Of Methods Such As Actor Network Theory, Socio-technical Systems, And Phenomenological Approaches. Management Concerns About Strategy And Productivity Are Covered Together With Issues Of Power, Politics, And Globalization. Topics Range From Long-standing Themes In The Study Of It In Organizations Such As Implementation, Strategy, And Evaluation, To General Analysis Of It As Socio-economic Change. A Distinguished Group Of Contributors, Including Bruno Latour, Saskia Sassen, Robert Galliers, Frank Land, Ian Angel, And Richard Boland, Offer The Reader A Rich Set Of Perspectives And Ideas On The Relationship Between Ict And Society, Organizational Knowledge And Innovation. -- Publisher Description. Encountering Information Systems As A Phenomenon / Claudio Ciborra -- Solution Is The Problem : A Story Of Transitions And Opportunities / Ian O. Angell And Fernando M. Ilharco -- On Using Ant For Studying Information Systems : A (somewhat) Socratic Dialogue / Bruno Latour -- Towards A Sociology Of Information Technology / Saskia Sassen -- Knowledge As Infrastructure / Ole Hanseth -- An Ecology Of Distributed Knowledge Work / Richard J. Boland Jr. -- Actor Network Theory And Cultural Aspects Of Interpretative Studies / Eric Monteiro -- Farewell To Constructivism : Technology And Context-embedded Action / Jannis Kallinikos -- Framing Is Studies : Understanding The Social Context Of Is Innovation / Charisanthi Avgerou And Shirin Madon -- Bridging The Digital Divide : New Route To Development Or New Form Of Dependency? / Robert Hunter Wade -- Re-constructing Information Systems Evaluation / Steve Smithson And Prodromos Tsiavos -- Reflections On Information Systems Strategizing / Robert D. Galliers -- Socially Self-destructing Systems / Richard L. Baskerville And Frank Land. Edited By Chrisanthi Avgerou, Claudio Ciborra, And Frank Land. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.