Sep 20 2006
Back to College, EDUC 5251 and the Virtual Society?
Well to start off the term I have been reading the introduction to a book of research articles called – Virtual Society? Steven Woolgar – Five Rules of Virtuality. Interesting and shall I say very much like the ‘technocentric’ papers of Papert this has already attracted me to its strong ideas…. It must be noted that this introduction to a series of research projects was written around 2001/2002 and although as Steven says the speed of technology and its supposed impacts is exaggerated it must also be considered that 5 years is a long time in research into technology and its social effects…
Summary
Why Study – ‘Are we now beyond the hype?’ –
Steven introduces a very skeptical eye – to the whole idea of ‘epithetised phenomena’ (e-, virtual – , cyber- …) and how just because you add this to the front of a word the technology has a major and undeniable change to the activity – after a ‘utopian’ enthusiasm with early research maybe we now need to sit back and say technologies are affecting us but lets be sensible and actually see how with a sensible eye to see the reality of these changes…
Rationale / Introduction and Problems with It –
Steven returns to his opening paragraphs and analyses them in the following terms
1. ICT research often has ‘sweeping grandiloquence’ e.g. is over the top and ‘clumps’ all users together as a royal we, to which it suggests ICT will ….and so we need to ask which particular peoples and how it will effect them…
2. ICT research often looks on ‘macro’ levels rather than how they are used in everyday practice, and so he suggests they must be researched more in a bottom up way – the nitty gritty – how ICT is affecting employment, social aspects and more…
3. ICT research seems to have such confidence with 100% ‘declarations of effect’…concentrating on ‘effects, outcomes, impacts and changes’ …which needs to change and be more fluid waiting for maybe less ‘presumed’ and more surprising outcomes and effects…
The Question Mark?–
‘…statements of enthusiasm or criticism leave little room for moderate mixed situations that may be reality’, Steven suggests that if a middle line is not taken on the research which allows for the enthusiasm of ‘cyberbole’ but underlies this with a simple real look at if it works that the research becomes either useless or is not pushed forward…and so a? rather than rewriting the initial open cyberbolic paragraphs so as to imply scepticism while allowing for enthusiasm…
Organisation and problems –
Outlines problems of the fact that ‘there is barely any aspect of modern society potentially untouched by the effect of new electronic technologies’ and so research can never even try to cover all the specific questions and studies related to each issue although if research allows for it to be ‘applied to’ other issues then it will be more successful and useful. He outlines organising research by substantive /work area focus, social / political themes, typology of technology ….all are viable but Steven then goes on to outline what he perceives are better rules (see below.) He also suggests it must be acknowledged that rate of technology change can effect research especially over long periods of time. However the ‘obsolescence of technologies’ is often amongst specific ‘nerdy’ groups and ICT sales so be careful.
Five Rules of Virtuality–
- ‘…depend on social context’ – ‘a social setting separate from both domestic and economic spheres – provide a key to the successful integration of the real and the virtual’ , looks at and says that without specific local social and maybe physical contexts / environments for each person then the virtual cannot hope to work well and affect uptake * ‘..fears and risks are unevenly distributed’ – that due to different parts of the community and different personalities – old, young, rich, poor all look on technology very differently and have very different expectations often ones that express very fearful views or very accepting views..
- ‘…virtual technologies supplement rather than’ – expresses the idea that the virtual will never fully takeover but will work side by side with the actual e.g. memos, and email or that more televised football leads to more people attending football matches …’virtual social life provides a further dimension to a persons real social life, not a substation for it.’
- ‘…the more virtual the more real’ – weird one this, that actually using virtual technologies alongside actual ‘stimulates’ more real activities ……e.g. email communication actually promotes other usual forms of communication
- ‘…the more global the more local’ – ‘Globalisation is quintessentially about the death of distance’ , similar to first idea but looks at the fact that to have a global virtual identity relies on ‘local ways of managing technology’ another words people enjoy their local existing working practices and virtual identities and technology use must be based on this…
- ‘Counter Intuitive’ – The author found it incredibly interesting that almost all research went against what the researchers thought would be the outcome, even though the findings were not necessarily bad but simply different…… Phewwwww….a heavy starter to a book, so as I have just finished reading it and getting back into the swing of this academic life and study give me a few days to come up with a visualise my thoughts…
Personal Thoughts /Brainstorm –
Strengths of article/ Thoughts –
Weaknesses of article /Thoughts –
(See Post Soon for my thoughts e.g sections above)
P.S. Hmmm…just seems that immedi.at has gone the way of the fairies, which is a pity I liked the idea of RSS feeds going to Instant Messenger accounts. Will keep you posted to see if its gone for good.
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