This thesis discusses the increased amount of information available online, and how we use it in our daily lives to make decisions. It aims to open a discussion on the complexity of accessing and evaluating digital information. As the Internet has grown, the amount of information available to the public has exploded. Not only have we gained access to what seems to be an unlimited amount of sources, but also the number of producers has grown. By means of a case study, this thesis explores practices of trust assessment within the shared economy. Through the lens of Actor-Network-Theory as well as Modern Social Imaginaries, media practices are studied by using the example of Airbnb, an online, shared economy platform for accommodation. Airbnb users as well as other travelers are asked about their media practices through an online survey with 229 respondents as well as in-depth interviews with 7 users of Airbnb. Results show that practices of trust assessment differ within and outside of the platform. There is a strong dependency on social information, produced by fellow platform users, especially in the form of reviews. In addition the study finds support for a social imaginary, in which the platform defines the accepted behavior for the users of the platform, who within the economic constraint comply with the social norm set by the organization, in order to be able to use the services of Airbnb.

Organizational Networking is an eminently modern concept and has been more and more investigated by scholars in recent years. However, little research has focused on the impact of Organizational Culture on Organizational Networking. The reason of this is that there is a duality in the field of culture between culture within organizations and culture within organizational networks. We argue that none of those stances alone can provide a comprehensive view of cultural phenomena within networking organizations and that a new perspective should be taken. In order to investigate the subject, we bring in the concept of Interorganizational Culturing and investigate it from an Actor-Network Theory perspective, which leads us to the following research question: which are the actors of Interorganizational Culturing in a networking organization? To gain insight on the topic, we have searched for theories on cultures within both the scope of organizations and organizational networks to build upon. In order to illustrate our research, we have conducted unstructured interviews in accordance to Actor-Network Theory principles. Our investigation was led through the use of convenience sampling method and was performed with six large Swedish organizations which activities differ and size varies. Our findings suggest that there are both structural and cultural actors to Interorganizational Culturing, the latter being the ones that can be influenced by the organization. The Actor-Network Theory perspective enabled us to show that many of the dynamics are sparked by nonhuman entities such as components or Organizational Culture (values, beliefs, behaviours). Therefore managers should reflect upon the fact that the potential of improving interorganizational collaboration in their organization lies in their very hands and that they should ask themselves the following question: how ready are we to collaborate more in order to compete better?

This study focuses on the encounter between the academic librarian and the academic library user with a specific need for information. The aim of the study is to examine the process of mediation of information and to uncover any inherent problems or systemic inertia that may occur within that process. Special attention has been given to information-seeking behaviour in the digital age and the possibility of viewing information literacy as a meta-literacy. The difference between the surface web and the academic invis- ible web is also investigated. Empirical data was collected by the use of ethnographic fieldwork at the Karolin- ska Institutet University Library over a period of five weeks. The data is analysed using actor-network theory as a point of departure. Actors, networks, mediators and intermediaries involved in the process of mediation of information are identified and defined. By tracing techno-economic and socio-technic networks the actors’ in- centives are uncovered, as well as the various transactions in which they are engaged. The study sheds light upon a significant difference in participatory motivation between the face-to-face reference work and the information literacy course incorporated within curricula. The use of actor-network theory enables information to be seen as an actor among other actors and during the analysis of the empirical data the topic of the nature of information is discussed using the model of the DIKW-hierarchy. A shift in the academic library towards a hybrid institution engaged in both the dispersion of information and the production of information is uncovered and the possible consequences of this shift are also discussed. The further development of the academic librarian’s educational role might be a viable option in the develop- ment of information literacy education in higher education.

This in-depth exploratory case study examines the real estate decision-making processes in four small, charitable organizations through the lens of Actor Network Theory (ANT). While decision-makers in these cases followed logical pathways and criteria in searching for and evaluating alternatives, this investigation also found these processes were often lengthy, complex, bounded rational, and political. The analysis looked at the relative roles played by various internal and external actors (including influential non-human actors such as feasibility studies, renderings, budgets, and plans) and the resulting fragile, but acceptable outcomes. From the presented engaged scholarship, practical implications emerged that can aid nonprofit managers and their boards in their real estate decision-making processes. Lastly, in addition to helping understand the process of creating real estate decisions in the context of nonprofit organizations, the analysis demonstrates how ANT with its focus on how heterogeneous human and non-human actors interact and come together to act as a whole, can be a valuable framework in examining the socio-technical, political process of real estate decision-making.

Focusing on the potential use of telemedicine among other efforts for better treatment of stroke patients, this study explored the role of telemedicine in the management of stroke patients and knowledge sharing among health care providers in Afghanistan. To this end, fourteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with physicians, specialists, neurologists, and decision makers from the Afghan Ministry of Public Health (MoPH). Actor-network and diffusion of innovations theories provided a theoretical framework for this exploratory qualitative study. The study was intended: 1) to find out about the major challenges and problems associated with managing stroke patients in Afghanistan; 2) to explore the perceptions of Afghan health professionals about the application of telemedicine as a means of improving the delivery of health services for stroke patients in Afghanistan; and 3) to understand the perceived barriers to knowledge sharing and to ascertain the potential role of telemedicine in knowledge sharing among health care providers in Afghanistan. The findings of this study demonstrated that almost all of the participants were optimistic about the potential positive role telemedicine could play in the management of stroke patients and knowledge sharing among health care providers in Afghanistan. Some important existing organisational, socio-economic, geographical, security, and cultural barriers to the management of stroke patients and knowledge sharing among health care providers in Afghanistan were revealed. To the best knowledge of the researcher, there has been no study of this kind conducted in Afghanistan yet; thus, the findings of this study will likely contribute to the development of health communication in the context of Afghanistan, and could likely be used as a resource for future research about the applications of telemedicine in various medical specialities.

Improvement in information sharing and communication about the foreign aid resources between the donors and the aid-recipient countries have always been considered very important. In recent years, the integration of advanced technology in the area of aid coordination has received a tremendous amount of attention. The following thesis studies the influence of technology in the area aid coordination within the context of Afghanistan. Guided by the Actor-Network Theory, the thesis examines how the social and technological aspects of the Development Assistance Database (DAD), as an advanced aid information management technology, influences aid coordination and information sharing between the donors and the government of Afghanistan. Using a case study methodology, the research also investigates whether or not the DAD adheres to the principles of aid effectiveness. The findings reveal that although technology had a profound impact in the area of aid management in Afghanistan, there are several areas that still face challenges. The present study highlights these challenges and recommends the appropriate solutions.

Peak oil is the claimed moment in time when global oil production reaches its maximum rate and henceforth forever declines. It is highly controversial as to whether or not peak oil represents cause for serious concern. My thesis explores how this controversy unfolds but brackets the ontological status of the reality indexed by the peak-oil concept. I do not choose a side in the debate; I look at the debate itself. I examine the energy outlook documents of ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, Chevron, Total and the International Energy Agency (IEA) as well as academic articles and documentaries. Through an in-depth analysis of peak-oil controversy via tenets of actor-network theory (ANT), I show that what is at stake are competing framings of reality itself, which must be understood when engaging with the contentious idea of peak oil. / Graduate

This dissertation builds upon the existing body of criminological and socio-legal literature on Internet governance by looking at how this technology and its use are regulated in Canada. Rather than focusing on the regulation of specific web-based activities (e.g., illegal downloading, child luring, etc.) or the control of certain types of online content (e.g., hate speech, pornography, etc.), the dissertation considers the ways that regulatory bodies have responded to the emergence of this new medium. Three specific agencies involved in the governing of the Internet are studied in detail: The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the Media Awareness Network (MNet) and the courts. Using a variety of theoretical and conceptual tools taken from both governmentality studies and Actor-Network Theory (ANT), the dissertation empirically documents how these agencies imagine the Internet and make it governable. Instead of searching for global accounts that look to either Society or Technology as a source of explanation for why the technology is governed in a particular fashion, this project examines how certain knowledges about the Internet and its regulation get produced in the first place. Attention is paid here to how these agencies initially problematize the Internet, the kinds of regulatory strategies and practices that have emerged and the general impact this has had for our understanding of the Internet and the way in which it should be governed. In keeping with the constructivist tradition in the field of Science and Technology Studies (S&TS), the dissertation approaches the regulation of the Internet as a site where the very nature of this technology – in terms of what it does, how it can be used and whether or not it can or should be regulated – gets invented and reinvented. However, rather than bracketing the building of the Internet from its governance, these processes are seen as mutually constitutive whereby the technology must be made governable in order to be governed. Consequently, given the many different and often competing visions about the Internet, the version that gets accepted (at least, momentarily) is shown to be crucial for how the technology is eventually received.

This study examines the way people use online resources within their personal healthcare practices to better understand how individuals manage their health issues in the age of the Internet. It specifically addresses the extent to which the Internet is used as an information database and associated patterns of use, whether the Internet represents a source of support or enables a supportive encounter and the implications of using the Internet as part of the health management across relationships with medical professionals and oneself. Using a sequential mixed methods design, the data was gathered within a larger multidisciplinary research project conducted in East York, Ontario. An initial quantitative analysis of 350 surveys describes Internet usage. The qualitative analysis of the 86 follow-up interviews of people recounting their personal health management processes demonstrated the importance of social networks, subjective health status and Internet user-style. The facile ability to engage with health information is transforming definitions and experiences of health and relationships with medical professionals. Examining medical encounters mindful of the aspects of trust, power, knowledge and privilege reveals an evolution to the doctor-patient relationship brought about by both information and personal empowerment. Using the Internet reinforces primary relationships and points to the development of new relationships that are sought at moments of meaningful life events or circumstances. New types of connections are being built across the Internet based on shared experiences, health concerns and health identities. Applying Actor Network Theory furthers an understanding of how search engines and online resources can emerge as actors in health information seeking and health management processes. Internet use is now a part of everyday life and is no longer limited to affluent early adopters as the gaps between those with access diminish in urban Canada. While its use is becoming intrinsically linked to health management it is not a panacea for improving health outcomes. As the populations’ collective health knowledge increases, so does the presumption that health management is a personal imperative. This notion that the achievement of good health is an individual responsibility or the theory of Healthism, frames the interpretation of the large percentage of the sample indicating they are striving to become healthier. Social workers need to acknowledge the place of the Internet within its practice and to balance the emphasis on individualized health management with the perspective that health outcomes reflect community mores. It is important for social workers to treat the Internet as a medium of relationships and for social workers to become knowledgeable about what these connections can provide in terms of support and information and what the limitations and risks of these relationships can be.

Criminologists and sociolegal scholars have become increasingly interested in studying media representations of crime in popular culture. They have studied representations using content analyses, often examining their “accuracy” against academic research. Alternatively, these scholars have also studied media effects. In contrast to these studies, I focus on the television production process of making entertaining, dramatic representations of crime. In doing so, I empirically address the following research question: how do TV writers know about crime, and how do they transform that knowledge into fictional representations? I answer this question using a triangulation of methods to gather data – specifically, ethnography, archival research, and interviews with writers and producers – and through the juxtaposition of several case studies. My case studies include the following Canadian crime television programs: 1) the police drama 'The Bridge,' 2) an original Canadian drama about insurance fraud, 'Cra$h and Burn,' and 3) crime docudramas, such as 'F2: Forensic Factor' and 'Exhibit A: Secrets of Forensic Science.' Taking cues from Bruno Latour’s actor-network theory, I focus on the site-specific, concrete, dynamic processes through which each television production makes fiction. I conceive of the writers’ room as a laboratory that creates representations through collaborative action and trial and error. This research demonstrates that, during the production process, representations of crime are unstable, constantly in flux as various creative and legal entities compel their revision. Legal entities, such as Errors and Omissions insurance and broadcasters’ Standards and Practices, regulate the content and form of representations of crime prior to their airing. My findings also reveal the contingency of (commercial) success, the heterogeneity of people who make up television production staff, and the piecemeal state of knowledge that circulates between producers, network executives and writers.