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Information Cosmopolitics
An Actor-Network Theory Approach to Information Practices
1st Edition - March 19, 2015
Author: Edin Tabak
eBook ISBN:9780081001288
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Information Cosmopolitics explores interaction between nationalist and information sharing practices in academic communities with a view to understanding the potential impacts of… Read more
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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
No. of pages: 182
Language: English
Published: March 19, 2015
Imprint: Chandos Publishing
eBook ISBN: 9780081001288
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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, Australia