Concepts Flashcards
Technological Determinism
n/a
Tech is the primary driver of social change and transformation. One-way. tech change -> social change. (bad, generally rejected)
Social Construction of Technology
technology does not determine human action, but that rather, human action shapes technology
the ways a technology is used cannot be understood without understanding how that technology is embedded in its social context
SCOT is a response to technological determinism and is sometimes known as technological constructivism.
Pinch & Bijker
Closure Mechanisms
Pinch and Bijker (1984)
consensus on certain claims; the stabilization of particular artifacts.
Social Constructivist Approach
n/a
scientific facts and technological artifacts are not simply objective realities but are instead shaped by social processes
Sociotechnical Imaginaries
collectively held, institutionally stabilized, and publicly performed visions of desirable futures
animated by shared understandings of forms of social life and social order attainable through, and supportive of, advances in science and technology
Sociotechnical imaginaries bridge the gap between the abstract idealism of collective imaginations in social and political theory and the material, but apolitical focus of networks in science and technology studies
Jasanoff
Fast Knowledge/Slow Knowledge
fast knowledge - digital, accelerate-able, focused on discrete elements, and often linked to individual or organizational profit, linear
slow knowledge - more contextual, complex, focused on community, and less easily quantifiable
Orr
Internet Imaginaries
the collective and often shared mental constructs, beliefs, and expectations that people hold about the internet
Mansell
Adverse Digital Incorporation
inclusion in a digital system that enables a more-advantaged group to extract disproportionate value from the work or resources of another, less-advantaged group
drivers: ignorance/deception, compulsion, lack of choice/exclusion from alternatives
processes: exploitation (extractive process, potentially to the point of being criminal), commodification (something previously
untraded is turned into a traded item), cost-shifting, legibility (making a previously unknown entity known to exploiters), enclosure (transfer from community owned to private owned)
Heeks
Socio-Technical Inequalities
focus on outcomes resulting from ICT use rather than just access/skills - three layers of inequality: access, skills, outcomes
Helsper
Theory on the Digital Divide
Van Dijk’s theory from his first work, a little outdated now since it doesn’t really capture skill/outcomes
- Categorical inequalities in society produce an unequal distribution of resources.
- An unequal distribution of resources causes unequal access to digital technologies.
- Unequal access to digital technologies also depends on the characteristics of these technologies.
- Unequal access to digital technologies brings about unequal participation in society.
- Unequal participation in society reinforces categorical inequalities and unequal distributions of resources.
Dependable Instability
the predictable and recurring cycle of internet access disruptions that low-income users experience due to broken devices, unpaid bills, and public access limitations, even though they generally have some form of internet access
Gonzales
Online Anonymity Modal
three macro-level structures: legal (laws/regulation); commercial (platform policies, EULAs); technological (infrastructure)
which shape three micro/meso-level facets: factual (traceable info like names/ssn), social group (identity markers like gender/race), physical (embodied aspects, emotions, etc.)
Eklund et al
Dramaturgical Theory
views social interaction as a theatrical performance where individuals are actors presenting idealized versions of themselves, managing impressions through “front stage” (public) and “back stage” (private) behaviors, with each performance bounded by specific situations and audiences in time and space
Goffman, extended for internet contexts by Hogan
Privacy Cynicism
an attitude characterized by uncertainty, powerlessness, and mistrust toward how personal data is handled by online services, which leads individuals to view privacy protection behavior as futile
Hoffmann et al
Digital Subject
A digital subject is neither a human being nor its representation but a distance between the two
The digital subject is a constructed entity that exists in the dynamic space (“distance”) between a living person and their various digital manifestations (data profiles, identifiers, algorithmic models, etc.), neither fully representing nor separate from the individual but operating as an active mediator that can shape both the digital and physical realms.
Goriunova
Function Creep
‘whereby techniques that were initially adopted for specific uses and purposes have been gradually spreading into much wider spheres and practices of governance’
Ajana
Theory of Affordances
Affordances are the perceived and actual properties of an object that indicate how it can be used for/by particular actors.
“direct perception”—the ability to recognize possible actions based on environmental cues
affordances provide a direct link between perception and action without requiring mental interpretation
affordances are independent of perception - exist whether the perceiver cares about them or not/perceived or not
Gaver, via Gibson
Context Collapse
n/a
a situation where various, often separate, social and personal contexts or audiences converge into a single online space, resulting in challenges and complexities related to self-presentation, communication, and privacy
individuals find themselves communicating with diverse groups of people, such as friends, family, colleagues, acquaintances, and strangers, all within the same online platform or space
concerns about privacy, hard to create a coherent online identity in this situation
Media Richness Theory
categorizes communication channels based on their “richness”—how effectively they can convey complex messages.
Richness is determined by the ability to provide immediate feedback, transmit multiple cues (tone, body language), allow for personalization, and utilize natural language.
Daft & Lengel
Social Presence Theory
Social presence is the feeling of personal, human connection one experiences through a communication medium.
Higher social presence means that the interaction feels more immediate, warm, and personal.
Short et al
Cultural Transmission Theory
n/a
how cultural knowledge, behaviours, beliefs, and values are passed down from one generation to the next within a society
occurs through various means, including direct teaching, imitation, social learning, and language
Vertical transmission (from parents to children), Horizontal transmission (among peers), and Oblique transmission (from older generations or institutions to younger generations, such as through media or schools)
Banal Nationalism
nationalism isn’t just found in extreme or separatist movements, but exists as a subtle, pervasive force in established nations, particularly Western democracies
subtle reminders through media, political discourse, and everyday symbols
Billig
–
internet plays a role here: domain names, local platforms, linguistic borders, etc.
Soffer
(mis/dis)information
n/a
Information - a broad term that encompasses data, facts, or knowledge shared with the intention of being accurate and truthful.
Misinformation - dissemination of false or inaccurate information, often unintentionally; occurs when individuals or entities share information they believe to be true but which is, in fact, incorrect or misleading; usually no intention to deceive when resahring misinfo
Disinformation - the deliberate spread of false or misleading information with the intent to deceive, manipulate, or cause harm.
Philosophy of Money
“The notion that the economic significance of money results simply from its value and the frequency of its circulation at any given time overlooks the powerful effects that money produces through the hope and fear, the desire and anxiety that are associated with it.”
Simmel
Platform Capitalism
contemporary capitalism has evolved into “platform capitalism,” a system where digital platforms serve as key infrastructures for economic activity
Platforms extract, process, and monetize data as their primary resource, positioning themselves as intermediaries that leverage network effects to achieve dominance across various sectors
PICAL: five types of platforms: product (spotify), industrial (siemens), cloud (aws), advertising (google/meta), lean (uber)
Srnicek
Social Acceleration Theory
argues that contemporary societies are characterized by a relentless increase in the pace of social change
three dimensions of time: 1) the technological acceleration of the pace of life; 2) the acceleration of social change; 3) the acceleration of individual experiences of time
Rosa
Domestication Theory
Appropriation (bring a technology into the home / adapt to specific needs)
Objectification (physical incorporation, placement, visibility)
Incorporation (daily routines/practices)
Conversion (redesign and redefinition)
Silverstone & Hirsch
Space-Time Compression
advances in transporation and communication have signficantly reduced the time it takes to travel/communicate across large distances - acceleration has led to a compression of both space and time
linked to globalization - rapid dissemination of cultural products/idea/trends across the globe
concept of a “global middle class” or elite, where people across the world have more in common than neighbors
Harvey
Spatial Triad
1) perceived space (instinct/how space is experiences)
2) conceived space (intellect/how space is planned/conceptualized)
3) lived space (intuition/how space is used/inhabited)
Lefebvre
Spatial Ontologies
Spatial ontologies integrate the conceptualization of space with formalized classification systems, enabling diverse and context-dependent representations in digital environments.
A key tension is between abstraction for computational utility and the preservation of contextual meaning.
Schuurman
