Development communication is now a recognized field within communication studies, but has always been implicated with the discourse and practices of development, as well as drawing on the lexicon of sociology for its elaboration of social phenomena and processes. This dissertation sets out to provide a case study-based review of the limits and possibilities of communication in/for development through the lens of interface analysis, a framework developed by Norman Long to reconstitute an understanding of development itself in an actor centered fashion. Adopting a broader based understanding of the concept of interface, in order to provide a communicative tool which goes beyond development practice , three dimensions of communication and development are considered: the 'dominant paradigm' with its emphasis on mass media; participatory communication with its emphasis on dialogue and social change; and communication based on new information and communication technologies, with its emphasis on the benefits of the internet. Central to the discussion is a consideration of the significance of information in developing contexts, and the centrality of communication to social relations more generally. Each of the case studies provides a concrete example of one or more of the three dimensions outlined above, and offers a platform for extending a conceptual and critical engagement with past contributions to the particular problematic. The objective of these engagements is less the establishment of firm conclusions than it is with the delineation of further topics for research, and the clarification of the future direction of communication in/for development. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.

This thesis deal with how seniors treat and view the digital world, what their information seeking process looks like and what they perceive as the major obstacles regarding the usage of IKT and the Internet. The experience of the seniors is put in relation to how Uppsala City Library is carrying out the task to increase digital participa-tion. This operation is part of the Digidel network which during the preceding year concluded their campaign Digidel2013 which aimed to render 500 000 new users digitally participant. Following the campaign Digidel published a report on how to further work to increase the digital participation derived from the experience gath-ered from Digidel2013. This report is discussed and put in relation to the proposed measures of Jan A.G.M. van Dijk on how to prevent the deepening of the digital divide.This is foremost done by examining the field from the theoretical perspective of van Dijk in which the indi-vidual resources determines the level of access to the digital world bestowed upon the user. Through interviews with seniors and library staff it was made aware that the major obstacle towards digital participation among seniors is the lack of motivation for access, ultimately described by the varying resources. The temporal, cultural and mental resources were the major hindrances towards using IKT and Internet. Social resources also enabled access to the digital world without the need for seniors to become users themselves. Friends and family were utilized as intermediaries when seniors needed to search for information or use services.The starting point towards increasing digital participation needs to be based on the individual requirements and refer to decrease the obstacles perceived by groups in using IKT and Internet. The relationships between society and individual, and the digital and the non-digital world need to be mutual for all parties to profit from using IKT and Internet.

Empirical evidence suggests that individuals can hold different interpretations of a technology. In this research, I explore the question of where these different interpretations come from. What influences an individual s interpretation of a technology? And what is the nature of these interpretations? I explore these questions through studies of computer-mediated messaging systems, including instant messaging, photo-enhanced instant messaging, multimedia messaging (cameraphones), and mobile messaging (BlackBerries). In this research, I draw from philosophical hermeneutics, a domain of study examining the nature of interpretation, and present a technological hermeneutic, a descriptive theory of how individuals interpret technology how they come to understand the meaning of the technology in their own lives. This theory offers insight into the myriad resources individuals draw from when constructing an interpretation of technology, including their own experiences with related technologies as well as their interactions with others use and understanding of the technology. This theory also offers insight into the nature of the interpretive process. Interpretations are dynamic and evolving; individuals continually draw from new experiences, reengaging and reinterpreting technology. Interpretations are also hybrid and synthesized; individuals draw from multiple resources in an active process of interpretive bricolage.

A social navigation system collects data from its users--its community--about what they are doing, their opinions, and their decisions, aggregates this data, and provides the aggregated data--community data--back to individuals so that they can use it to guide behavior and decisions. In this thesis, I document my investigation of the user experience for social navigation systems that employ activity data. I make three contributions in this thesis. First, I synthesize social navigation systems research with research in social influence, advice-taking, and informational cascades to construct hypotheses about the social navigation user experience. These hypotheses posit that community data from a social navigation system exerts informational influence on users, that users egocentrically discount community data, that herding in social navigation systems can be characterized as informational cascades, and that the size and unanimity of the community data correspond to the strength of the community data's influence. The second contribution of this thesis is an experiment that evaluates the hypotheses about the social navigation user experience; this experiment investigated how a social navigation system can support online charitable giving decisions. The experiment's results support the majority of the hypotheses about the social navigation user experience and provide mixed evidence for the other hypotheses. The implications that arise from the experiment's findings compromise the final contribution of this thesis. These implications concern improving the design of social navigation systems and developing a general framework for evaluating the social influence of social navigation systems.

This thesis is the first dedicated sociological attempt to offer a critical response to cultural studies and allied discourses that concern themselves with the relationship between technology and violence. A critical reconstruction is necessary because these cultural theorists have failed to adequately contextualize their arguments in relation to both the globally ascendant neoliberal policy outlook and its associated social Darwinian technoculture: the combined pernicious effects of which could be described as the logic of ???social constructionism as social psychosis???. The most prominent manifestation of this theoretical psychosis has to do with an interest in biotechnology in particular. The problem I identify in the treatment of this theme is how easily it can be used to support a technologically determinist position. One undesirable side effect is that these determinists are able to project from present trends a dystopian exhaustion of all critique through their focus on violence. In the thesis of ???bioglobalism??? this state of affairs is also deployed to take sociologists to task for insufficient recognition of processual ???network??? forms of distributed agency in technological processes. At stake therefore is the recovery of sociological critique. It follows that the core of my thesis is the radical reworking of two related heuristic devices: seriality and contingency. Seriality is taken to refer to social practices as diverse as the possible relationships between the social problem of rationality, case studies of individuals who have run amok, and the functioning of network characteristics. I use contingency to eschew seriality???s deterministic accounting of the social. Here I propose a new conceptual relationship between creativity and action. Emphasis is accordingly placed upon two related normative projects: Raymond Williams???s cultural materialism, and three of the ???problematiques??? Peter Wagner has identified as inescapable for theorizing modernity: the continuity of the acting person, the certainty of knowledge, and the viability of the political order. I conclude with a renewed conception of the role of normative critique as a form of conceptual therapy for bioglobal projections of seriality.

Thesis (PhD) -- Macquarie University, Division of Society, Culture, Media and Philosophy, Dept. of Sociology, 2008. / Bibliography: p. 233-248. / Academic vessels: STS and HPS -- SSK : scientism as empirical relativism -- Latour and actor-network-theory -- Tensions and dilemmas in science studies -- Kuhn - paradigm of an uncritical turn -- Critical theory of technology: Andrew Feenberg -- Critical theory and science studies: Jürgen Habermas -- Concluding remarks: normativity and synthesis. / Science Studies is an interdisciplinary area of scholarship comprising two different traditions, the philosophical History and Philosophy of Science (HPS) and the sociological Science and Technology Studies (STS). The elementary tension between the two is based on their differing scholarly values, one based on philosophy, the other on sociology. This tension has been both animating the field of Science Studies and complicating its internal self-understanding. --This thesis sets out to reconstruct the main episodes in the history of Science Studies that have come to formulate competing constructions of the cultural value and meaning of science and technology. It tells a story of various failed efforts to resolve existing antimonies and suggests that the best way to grapple with the complexity of the issues at stake is to work towards establishing a common ground and dialogue between the rival disciplinary formations: HPS and STS. --First I examine two recent theories in Science Studies, Sociology of Scientific Knowledge (SSK) and Actor-Network Theory (ANT). Both of them are found to be inadequate as they share a distorted view of the HPS-STS divide and both try to colonise the sociology of science with the tools of HPS. The genesis of this colonizing impulse is then traced back to the Science Wars which again is underpinned by a lack of clarity about the HPS-STS relationship. This finding further highlights the responsibility of currently fashionable theories such as ANT that have contributed to this deficit of understanding and dialogue. / This same trend is then traced to the work of Thomas Kuhn. He is credited with moderate achievements but recent re-evaluations of his work point to his culpability in closing the field to critical possibilities, stifling the sociological side and giving rise to a distorted view of the HPS-STS relationship as seen in SSK and ANT. Now that the origins of the confused and politically divided state of Science Studies is understood, there is the urgent task of re-establishing a balance and dialogue between the HPS and the STS sides. --I use two important theoretical threads in critical theory of science and technology to bring clarity to the study of these interrelated yet culturally distinct practices. Firstly I look at the solid line of research established by Andrew Feenberg in the critical theory of technology that uses social constructivism to subvert the embedded values in the technical code and hence democratize technology. --Secondly I look at the work of Jürgen Habermas's formidable Critical Theory of science that sheds light on the basic human interests inside science and technology and establishes both the limits and extent to which social constructivism can be used to study them. --Together Feenberg and Habermas show the way forward for Science Studies, a way to establish a common ground that enables close scholarly dialogue between HPS and STS yet understands and maintains the critical difference between the philosophical and the sociological approaches that prevents them from being collapsed into one indistinguishable entity. Together they can restore the HPS-STS balance and through their shared emancipatory vision for society facilitate the bringing of science and technology into a democratic societal oversight, correcting the deficits and shortcomings of recent theories in the field of Science Studies. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / vii, 248 p

Assignment (MComm) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: According to Costa and Basommy (1995) ethno-consumerism is the study of consumption from the point of view of a social or cultural group, which is the subject of the study. The purpose of the study was to document and critically analyse the use of modern household technologies by Swazi families and their experiences with them. The focus of analysis was at micro leveL A combined sample (N= 1449), consisting of Swazi females (N=810) and Swazi males (N=639) was requested to complete a questionnaire concerning the research project with issues relating to the adoption of household technologies. To explore the research issues concerning household technologies in Swaziland an ethno consumeristic framework consisting of four elements were developed: The Cultural context, Modernisation in the Swazi Culture, Rising Consumerism in Swaziland and the Technological Context. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Etniese verbruikersgedrag is volgens Costa & Basommy (1995) 'n studie van verbruiking vanuit die oogpunt van 'n kulturele of sosiale groep wat die onderwerp van die studie vorm. Die doel van die studie was om die gebruik van huishoudelike tegnologie deur Swazi families en hulle ondervinding daarmee te dokumenteer en analiseer. Die fokus van analise was op mikro vlak. 'n Gekombineerde steekproef (N=1449) was saamgestel uit Swazi dames (N=810) en Swazi mans (N=639). Die Swazi families het die navorsings projek van inligting voorsien oor kwessies wat verband hou met die aanvaarding van huishoudelike tegnologie. Om die navorsings kwessies aangaande huishoudelike tegnologie te ondersoek was 'n etniese verbruikersraamwerk saamgestel wat uit die volgende vier elemente bestaan het naamlik: Die Swazi se Kulturele Konteks, Modernisering in die Swazi Konteks, Toenemende Verbruikersorientasie en die Tegnologiese Konteks.

Capes / O objetivo desse trabalho é identificar a percepção dos gestores sobre as concepções de tecnologia presentes nas indústrias de baixa, média-baixa e média-alta tecnologia. Este é um estudo de campo sobre uma análise sociotécnica que se realizou em ambientes produtivos. A coleta de dados foi realizada para determinar as concepções de tecnologia encontradas na indústria brasileira, por meio de um questionário. Para a aplicação final utilizou-se dos segmentos de baixa, média-baixa e média-alta tecnologia. Na aplicação do instrumento, foram recolhidos 84 questionários, dos quais 80 validados. Com relação ao nível de tecnologia da indústria, 67,50% estão inseridos nas indústrias de média-baixa tecnologia, 12,50% dos respondentes estão nas indústrias de baixa tecnologia, e, 20% dos respondentes estão em indústrias de média-alta tecnologia. O α de Cronbach total do instrumento nessa amostra é satisfatório, tendo em vista que resultado foi de 0,780. Executou-se a Análise discriminante e o teste Anova, considerando-se ρ-valor<0,05 para que tenha diferença significativa entre, no mínimo, um dos grupos. Para a análise realizada entre os construtos do teste encontrou-se ρ-valor≤0,001, ou seja, existe diferença entre as médias de pelo menos um dos construtos. Portanto, o questionário é válido por não avaliar os mesmos pontos em diferentes construtos. Tornou-se possível em uma avaliação mais aprofundada identificar a percepção dos gestores sobre de inovação tecnológica industrial. Para tal, foi levado em consideração os testes obtidos das respostas que apontam que para sua maioria a percepção é que a tecnologia auxilia no desenvolvimento do seu trabalho. As concepções mais importantes foram apropriação tecnológica e a concepção utilitarista de tecnologia. / The objective of this work is to identify the managers' perception about the technology conceptions present in the low, medium-low and medium-high technology industries. This study is about sociotechnical analysis that was carried out in productive environments. The data collection was carried out to determine the profile of the workers regarding the conceptions of technology found in the industry. For the final application that aimed to identify the managers' perception about the technology conceptions present in the industries, the low, medium-low and medium-high technology segments were used. In the application of the instrument, 84 questionnaires were collected, of which 80 were validated. Regarding the technology level 67.50% are inserted in the medium-low-tech industries 12.50% of respondents from low-tech industries and from medium-high technology industries 20% of respondents were registered. The total Cronbach's α of the instrument in this sample is satisfactory, considering that result was 0.780. Discriminant analysis and the Anova test were performed, considering ρ-value <0.05 to have a significant difference between at least one of the groups. For the analysis performed between the constructs of the test was found ρ-value≤0.001, that is, there is a difference between the means of at least one of the constructs. Therefore, the questionnaire is valid because it does not evaluate the same points in different constructs. It became possible in a more in-depth assessment to identify the managers' perception of industrial technological innovation. To do so, we took into account the tests obtained from the answers that point out that for the most part the perception is that the technology assists in the development of their work. It was obtained that the most important conceptions were technological appropriation and the utilitarian conception of technology.

The study investigated whether a relationship existed between using technology for recreation, and attachment style with important individuals in the lives of respondents. The main results showed that (4) a decrease in friend anxiety contributes towards an increase in the positive attitude towards using the HES for explicit content; (5) An increase in romantic partner anxiety contributed towards an increase in the positive attitude towards using the HES for social replacement. (6) Decreased father avoidance and increased father anxiety lead to an increasingly positive attitude towards using the PC for social, romantic and sexual improvement; (7) an increase in mother avoidance and anxiety, partner anxiety and friend anxiety contributed towards an increase in the positive attitude towards using the cell phone for explicit content and relationship related activities. / Psychology / (M.A. (Psychology))

Mobile phone usage involves the mobile phone, the telecommunications system, mobile phone users, and the adoption and use of the system. Mobile communications is a complex and rapidly changing industry consisting of the hardware, software, network and business aspects. Mobile phone users are influenced by demographic, social, cultural and contextual factors that complicate the understanding of mobile phone usage. Advances in technology and market competition drive the addition of new services and features. In contrast, human cognition and attention are more constrained and many users find it difficult to cope with the cognitive demands of mobile phone technology. The aim of this study is to develop a model for representing the influence of motivational needs and cultural factors on mobile phone usage variety. The link between motivational needs and mobile phone usage variety, the cultural factors that influence mobile phone usage variety, as well as usage spaces as an approach to representing usage variety, are researched. The research encompasses a literature study, structured interviews, a pilot study and a survey. The pilot study and survey yielded data about mobile phone usage of university students under the age of 30 in South Africa. The results from the statistical analysis were triangulated with the findings of the literature study and the observations made about mobile phone usage during this two-year period. A final survey was conducted to verify the model. The contribution of this study is a mobile phone technology usage model (MOPTUM) for representing the motivational and cultural factors that influence mobile phone usage variety in such a way that users can use the model to express their mobile phone usage needs in non-technical terms while marketers and designers can use the model to convert the expressed user needs into the features required. MOPTUM draws on concepts and models from sociology, computer-supported cooperative work, human-computer interaction and technology adoption models from the field of marketing. MOPTUM verifies some existing findings on mobile phone usage and then integrates and extends these existing models to provide a new model for understanding the motivational and cultural factors that influence mobile phone usage variety. / Computing / Ph. D. (Computer Science)