Social Informatics: Principles, Theory, and Practice

Abstract

Abstract. Through this paper we make two contributions to social informatics: the interdisciplinary study of the design, development, uses and consequences of information and communication technologies that takes into account their interaction with institutional and cultural contexts. Our first contribution is to make a connection from social informatics to general principles of sociotechnical theories. We do this to both connect social informatics scholarship more directly to the large and growing literature(s) that engage socio-technical theorizing and to advance these principles more directly through social informatics. Our second contribution to social informatics is to engage two contemporary theoretical approaches that draw on social informatics principles: socio-technical interaction networks and principles of social actors and apply them to current practice. We do so to demonstrate that these analytic approaches are the needed tools to help scholars and reflective professionals in practice engage social informatics analyses. By doing this we highlight the potential of social informatics while honouring Rob Kling's legacy in helping to establish this transdiscipline.

Social Informatics Evolving

“…While there continues to be interest in network theory and analysis (i.e., Goggins et al, 2011) and technical action frames , older constructs, such as computerization movements, have been revised , and new theories, such as IS/IT governance theory , have been developed. The analysis of networks is guided by a variety of approaches, including the socio-technical network model , social network theory ), actor-network theory Davenport, 2008), and STINs (Sawyer and Tyworth, 2006). Network-centered methodologies have also grown in popularity, consistent with their employment in other domains of research.…”

“…Socio-technical theory is also developing into a multi-theoretical and integrated framework for studies of interactions (Davenport, 2008;Racherla and Mandviwalla, 2013) based on principles of mutual shaping between social contexts, uses, and technologies (Sawyer and Tyworth, 2006;Tapia and Maitland, 2009). The socio-technical systems (STS) construct, in particular, is developing into a popular mechanism for the conceptualization of information systems because it enables and mutually impacts social processes Singh, 2013).…”

“…The principles guiding SI work, nearing the present, include diverse labels: the socio-technical (e.g., Davenport, 2008;Goggins et al, 2011;King et al, 2007;Sawyer and Tyworth, 2006;Tapia and Maitland, 2009), as an alternate but complementary approach to traditional SI (Davenport, 2008;Elliot and Kraemer, 2007;Fichman and Rosenbaum, 2014;Sanfilippo and Fichman, 2014;Oltmann et al, 2006;Sawyer and Tyworth, 2006); social aspects of ICT Elliot and Kraemer, 2007;Fichman and Hara, 2014;Robbin and Day, 2006;Shachaf and Hara, 2007;Wade, 2014); critical informatics King et al, 2007); the critical perspective Robbin and Day, 2006); and usability . While this work is labeled in at least six different ways, there are two that have been more prominent in recent scholarship: SI and the socio-technical.…”

“…Themes of control (i.e., , complexity (i.e., Tapia and Maitland, 2009), and context , specifically social context , has led researchers to consider and evaluate relationships and interactions that are supported by ICT for coordination, cooperation , and collaboration ). Constraints Oltmann et al, 2006) and limits to access are often intentional, yet there are also unanticipated consequences Robbin and Day, 2006) under conditions of change (Sawyer and Tyworth, 2006). Constraints Oltmann et al, 2006) and limits to access are often intentional, yet there are also unanticipated consequences Robbin and Day, 2006) under conditions of change (Sawyer and Tyworth, 2006).…”

“…These connections form networks Sawyer and Tyworth, 2006), which are important to analyze in order to understand how ideas, information, and media spread within distributed organizations and through society. Furthermore, they play increasingly significant roles in individuals' lives and in societies, connecting distant and distributed people and resources through the Internet ).…”