Information Cosmopolitics
An Actor-Network Theory Approach to Information Practices
- 1st Edition - March 20, 2015
- Author: Edin Tabak
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 0 8 - 1 0 0 1 2 1 - 9
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 0 8 - 1 0 0 1 2 8 - 8
Information Cosmopolitics explores interaction between nationalist and information sharing practices in academic communities with a view to understanding the potential impacts o… Read more
Information Cosmopolitics explores interaction between nationalist and information sharing practices in academic communities with a view to understanding the potential impacts of these interactions. This book is also a resounding critique of existing theories and methods as well as the launching point for the proposition of an alternate approach. Dominant approaches in the Information Behaviour (IB) field are investigated, as well as questions existing theoretical approaches to nationalism and cosmopolitanism. The concept of information cosmopolitics is introduced as an approach for tracing information practices and enabling research participants to perform their own narratives and positionings, and that the focus of information studies should be on tracing the continuous circulation of processes of individualisation and collectivization.
- Provide an alternative to the dominant approaches in the field of Information Behaviour
- Offers a novel theoretical model to trace information practices
- Questions existing approaches to nationalism and cosmopolitanism
Information researchers and practitioners, and Humanities students.
1. Introduction
- The bridge of civilisations
- Rude awakening
- The focus and structure of the book
2. Theory and practice: Jumping between different frames of references
- Many approaches to nationalism and cosmopolitanism
- Space and time in studies on nationalism and cosmopolitanism
- User-centred paradigm in research of information practices
- Centrality of context
- Gap between theory and practice
3. Actor-network theory: An alternative approach
- Actor, network, theory, without forgetting the hyphen
- Sociology of associations
- Plugging into nationalism and cosmopolitanism
- Information cosmopolitics
4. Setting up the fieldwork
- Following the actors in the field
- Following the actors: Latour’s circulatory system
5. The fieldwork
- Mobilisation of the world
- Autonomy
- Alliances
- Public representation
- Links and knots
- Summary
6. Some patterns in participants’ information practices
7. Information cosmopolitics: A model of information practices
- In-scription
- De-scription
- Contextualisation
- Standardisation
- Invitation to perplexity
8. Propositions instead of conclusions: Yet another invitation to perplexity
- Edition: 1
- Published: March 20, 2015
- Language: English
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Edin Tabak
Edin Tabak is an EU Marie Curie Fellow at University of Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Before this, he was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Internet Studies at Curtin University in Perth, Australia, where he has completed his PhD in 2012. His research interests include actor-network theory, information practices, and digital humanities. He taught social networks in the School of Media, Culture and Creative Arts at Curtin University, and has published a textbook Information Behaviour at the University of Zenica, where he has founded courses on Information Behaviour and Digital Humanities.
Affiliations and expertise
Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Internet Studies, Curtin University, AustraliaRead Information Cosmopolitics on ScienceDirect