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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
241

Psicologia social no Brasil: multiplicidade, performatividade e controvérsias

Cordeiro, Mariana Prioli 20 April 2012 (has links)
Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T13:30:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Mariana Prioli Cordeiro.pdf: 2192794 bytes, checksum: 78c0945031e3118c47f60aab83dd844c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-04-20 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Social Psychology has many definitions, theories and objects of study. In this dissertation, based on Actor-Network Theory, we argue that these are not different aspects or attributes of a single object, but elements that help to perform different versions of this object. They are, therefore, elements that make Social Psychologies different, although related to each other. They produce a multiple Social Psychology, which is more than one and, at the same time, less than many. To build this argument, we read and reread textbooks on Social Psychology that were available in two reference libraries. After an initial approach to those books, we observed that many of them talk about the reference crisis that assailed Social Psychology in the 1970s. Therefore, we decided to look for materials to help us tell these histories better. As a next step, we selected two master and two doctoral dissertations in the area, since this kind of work tends to describe the procedures used with more details. Finally, we looked up academic texts and public domain documents related to the creation of the Specialist Title in Social Psychology. We treated all those materials not only as texts , but as materialities that produce effects, relate to each other, articulate with other texts, with other practices. That is, we treated them as materialities that produce certain Social Psychology realities. In doing so, we strived to call attention to the possibility of ordinating and coordinating reality in different ways, of recognizing that there are multiple and diverse actants in a discipline and of making a Social Psychology that searches for complex connections that articulate humans and non-humans and perform multiple realities / A Psicologia Social apresenta inúmeras definições, abordagens teóricas e objetos de estudo. Nesta tese, embasados em pesquisas da Teoria Ator-Rede, argumentamos que esses não são diferentes aspectos ou atributos de um mesmo objeto, mas elementos que ajudam a performar diferentes versões desse objeto. São, portanto, elementos que fazem Psicologias Sociais diferentes, embora relacionadas entre si. Que fazem uma Psicologia Social múltipla, ou seja, que é mais do que uma ao mesmo tempo em que é menos do que muitas. Para construir esse argumento, lemos e relemos livros-texto de Psicologia Social disponíveis em duas bibliotecas de referência, buscando identificar como eles descrevem as práticas, referenciais teóricos, objetivos e locais de atuação da disciplina. Após essa leitura, observamos que vários desses manuais abordam a crise que assolou a Psicologia Social na década de 1970 e decidimos buscar materiais que nos ajudassem a contar melhor essas histórias. Além disso, decidimos selecionar duas dissertações de mestrado e duas teses de doutorado defendidas na área, afinal, esses trabalhos tendem a descrever de forma mais detalhada os procedimentos utilizados. Por fim, fizemos um levantamento de textos de acadêmicos e documentos de domínio público que abordam a criação do título de especialista em Psicologia Social. Tratamos todos esses materiais não apenas como textos , mas como materialidades que produzem efeitos, se conectam, se articulam com outros textos, com outras práticas. Ou seja, os tratamos como materialidades que produzem certas realidades da Psicologia Social. Buscamos, com isso, chamar a atenção para a possibilidade de ordenar e de coordenar a realidade de diferentes modos. De reconhecer que em uma disciplina cabem múltiplos e diversos actantes. De fazer uma Psicologia Social que busca conexões complexas que articulam humanos a não humanos e que performam múltiplas realidades
242

Construção de mundos : a onto-política de marketing no contexto do futebol de espetáculo brasileiro

Reale, Getúlio Sangalli January 2016 (has links)
Esta tese é o rastreamento das forças que as práticas (produtos e serviços) e discursos de marketing fazem circular por espaços do futebol de espetáculo brasileiro, ajudando a transformá-lo. Em aproximação à Actor-Network-Theory (LATOUR, 2005; LAW 2004), o estudo compôs-se de três movimentos principais: geração de controvérsias sobre a natureza do real, estudo das formas como os atores procuram estabilizar as controvérsias e, por fim, um exercício de onto-política (crítica). O caso concreto que serviu como espaço de partida foi o Grêmio de Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, do estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Os dados coletados incluíram a observação, observação participante, análise de documentos, entrevistas, dados financeiros e survey em uma abordagem de inspiração etnográfica. A partir de um olhar sensível para o contexto histórico e social do clubismo brasileiro e do clube estudado em específico (DAMO, 1998, 2005), procurei pensar as práticas e discursos de marketing inseridas na complexidade. Confrontados com diversidade e intensa participação de torcedores apaixonados e fiéis, cujos afetos variam abruptamente conforme as vitórias e derrotas do time no jogo (incerteza), os dirigentes/gestores desenvolvem dispositivos de reconversão de capital afetivo/simbólico em econômico mediados por três agências centrais: O Europeísmo (imaginário de futuro), Estética Dirigente (gosto tramado à classe) e Disciplinarização de Marketing (controle sobre o futuro). A mediação dessas entidades na transformação do futebol de espetáculo brasileiro opera como ‘construção de mundos’ (THRIFT, 2008a e b) com força estética que, entre outras coisas, agem para a inclusão e exclusão de torcedores de participação legítima nos espaços sagrados do clube. Adiciono controvérsia ao debate sobre formação de mercados na disciplina de Marketing (ARAUJO, 2007; KJELLBERG e HELGESSON; HELGESSON, 2007) a partir da proposta da relevância da dimensão estética dos mercados. Por fim, proponho formas alternativas de condução do clube a partir de uma inspiração da crítica pós-colonial (SAID, 1978; MIGNOLO, 2008). / This dissertation traces the forces that marketing practices (product and services) and discourses circulate in Brazilian spectacle football (soccer) helping to transform it. Using Actor-Network-Theory (LATOUR, 2005; LAW 2004), it makes three main movements: generates controversies about the nature of reality, studies the ways in which actors seek to stabilize controversies, and finally, an exercise onto-politics (criticism). The empirical space of departure was Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, from Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. The data collected included observation, participant observation, document analysis, interviews, financial data and surveys, inspired by an ethnographic approach. Sensitive for the historical and social context of Brazilian clubism and of the specific club studied (DAMO, 1998, 2005), I sought to think marketing practices and discourses within complexity. Faced with the diverse and active participation of passionate and faithful supporters, whose affections vary abruptly with team victories and defeats in the game (uncertainty), directors/managers develop affective/symbolic into economic capital conversion devices which are mediated by three main agencies: Europeism (imaginary future), Director’s Aesthetics (entangled with social class) and Marketing Disciplinarization (control over the future). This entities mediate a ‘world making’ process (THRIFT, 2008a e b) with aesthetic power in the transformation of Brazilian spectacle football that, among other things, acts on the inclusion and exclusion of supporters from legitimate participation in the sacred spaces of the club. I add to the debate on market formation in the Marketing discipline (ARAUJO, 2007; KJELLBERG e HELGESSON; HELGESSON, 2007) through the enactment of the relevance of aesthetics for markets. Finally, I propose alternative ways of conducting the football club inspired in postcolonial criticism (SAID, 1978; MIGNOLO, 2008).
243

As narrativas sobre os algoritmos do Facebook : uma análise dos 10 anos do feed de notícias

Araújo, Willian Fernandes January 2017 (has links)
Esta tese acompanha a construção do Feed de Notícias do Facebook ao longo dos seus primeiros 10 anos (2006-2016) com o objetivo de descrever as formas como o mecanismo e a noção de algoritmo são definidos ao longo do período estudado. São analisados os conteúdos digitais, chamados de dispositivos textuais, que compõem publicamente o que o Feed de Notícias é e faz, descrevendo os atores implicados na composição dessa narrativa, mapeando seus objetivos e seus efeitos. A amostra analisada toma como ponto de partida os dispositivos textuais alocados em dois espaços digitais institucionais do Facebook: Facebook Blog e Facebook Newsroom. A partir da leitura de mais de mil publicações digitais do Facebook e de outros agentes (usuários, produtores de conteúdo, imprensa, ativistas etc.), foram selecionadas as publicações mais relevantes ao estudo, escolhidas com ênfase em eventos e circunstâncias de negociação ou mudança. A abordagem aqui construída representa uma composição de perspectivas dos estudos de ciência e tecnologia (STS) e da Teoria Ator-Rede (TAR). Trata-se do conjunto de procedimentos utilizados na descrição do caráter performativo dos textos. Na análise realizada na tese, são identificados três momentos distintos da construção da noção de algoritmo ao longo da trajetória do Feed de Notícias, chamados de Algoritmo Edgerank, Algoritmo Certo e Algoritmo Centrado no Usuário. Ao mesmo tempo, é apresentada a formulação do Feed de Notícias como um fluxo constante. É argumentado que as transformações no mecanismo são orientadas para gerar engajamento e manter usuários conectados ao Facebook. Engajamento é, na racionalidade emergente da construção do Feed de Notícias, uma mercadoria resultante de sua ação. Outra noção relevante decorrente da análise é a ideia de norma algorítmica como lógica normativa de visibilidade que busca regular o relacionamento entre produtores de conteúdo e o mecanismo, punindo os que não seguem as chamadas boas práticas. / This study follows the Facebook News Feed construction throughout its first ten years (2006– 2016). The objective of this research is to describe the way this mechanism and the notion of algorithm were compounded, enacted and transformed during that period. This is achieved through an analysis of the digital content (referred to here as ‘textual devices’) that publicly constructs what the News Feed is and how it functions. This analysis describes the actors involved within this narrative, mapping their objectives and effects. The sample is constructed beginning with the textual devices published on Facebook’s institutional websites: Facebook Blog and Facebook Newsroom. Following the reading of more than 1,000 texts of Facebook and other agents (users, content producers, media, activists, etc.), the most relevant publications were selected, emphasizing situations of change, conflict and controversy. The research approach, which was based on science and technology studies (STS) and actornetwork theory (ANT), involved constructing a body of procedures used to describe the performative character of texts. The current study found that during the development of the News Feed, Facebook’s notion of algorithm has gone through three different phases, referred to here respectively as the Edgerank Algorithm, Right Algorithm and User-centered Algorithm. One of the most interesting findings was that the changes in the News Feed are primarily oriented towards the objective of creating engagement by keeping users connected to Facebook. Engagement is an important commodity within the rationality that emerged from this scenario. It is argued that the News Feed development may be seen as a continuous flow. Another important finding was the notion called algorithmic norm, as a normative logic of visibility that rules the relationship between content producers and the News Feed. The algorithmic norm tends to enact specific judgements and to punish content producers who do not follow what Facebook calls good practices.
244

Sistemas de gestão empresarial : compreendendo o processo de implementação e identificando o drifting através da interação de atores

Canepa, Paola Carmen Valenzuela January 2010 (has links)
Existem diversas pesquisas que tratam o assunto do processo de implementação dos Sistemas de Gestão Empresarial (SGE) no setor empresarial. A maioria delas focalizada no planejamento e o controle do gerenciamento no contexto formativo e abrangente que as envolve. Contudo, ainda existe uma lacuna ao estudar o processo de implementação nas pequenas e médias empresas que tenham orientação empreendedora. Devido ao fato de que estas empresas encontram-se num ambiente descontrolado, evidenciando saídas de rumo diante qualquer planejamento (drifting), tornam-se interessante os estudos de caso neste setor. Sendo assim, compreender como acontece o processo de implementação de um SGE e quais são as práticas que podem ser executadas para promover sua utilização sucedida é o foco deste trabalho de pesquisa. Para tanto foram utilizados os conceitos teóricos trazidos pelo trabalho de Ciborra (2002, 2000, 1999) em conjunto com a abordagem da Teoria do Ator- Rede (TAR) proposta pelo Latour (2005), Callon (1998) e Law (1992). O trabalho mostra a forma de utilização da TAR, evidencia os conceitos trazidos pelo Ciborra (2002, 2000, 1999) e propõe práticas para promover a utilização dos SGE para a fornecedora do estudo. Além disso, demonstra a necessidade de fazer mais pesquisas, no setor empresarial objeto deste estudo, uma vez que este tipo de empresa não aplica as melhores práticas mostradas nas diversas pesquisas apresentadas na literatura. Assim também, sugere-se a continuação deste estudo analisando outros atores que introduzam o ambiente tecnológico, econômico e social desse setor para poder identificar outros motivos pelos quais os atores executaram e fizeram as escolhas relatadas, pois com a TAR estudou-se a interação entre os atores envolvidos no processo de implementação do SGE, apresentando uma descrição de como foi construído esse processo. / There are several researches that deal with the matter of ERP implementation process on enterprise sector. Most of them focused on planning management control on overarching formative context that involves them. However, there is still a gap when a study is made on implementation for small and medium sized companies with entrepreneur orientation. Because these companies are settled in a non-controlled environment, noticing miss-routing upon any planning (drifting), it is interesting to have case studies in this sector. Thus, understanding how ERP implementation process is made and which are the procedures that can be applied to promote a succeed utilization is the focus of this research work. For this, it has been used theorical concepts brought by the work of Ciborra (2002, 2000, 1999) and the theorical approach of actor-network theory (ANT) proposed by Latour (2005), Callon (1998) and Law (1992). This work has shown the utilization of the ANT, it has evidenced the concepts brought by Ciborra (2002, 2000, and 1999) and suggests practices to promote the utilization of ERP for the supplier followed on this study. Besides, it is suggested to continue this study by introducing actors that represents the technological, economical and social environment of the studied sector to identify others reasons for actors’ options, once with the ANT was shown the interaction between the actors during the implementation process as a description of how the process was constructed as a result of this interaction.
245

Tecnologia e materialidades da comunicação no documentário: atores humanos e não humanos na obra de Eduardo Coutinho / Technology and materialities of communication in documentar: human and non-human actors in the work of Eduardo Coutinho

Daniela Muzi 15 August 2011 (has links)
Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / O cinema é uma expressão artística mediada pela tecnologia desde o seu surgimento no século XIX. A partir dessa constatação, investigam-se neste trabalho as relações entre tecnologia e documentário e de que forma elas impactam as linguagens midiáticas, tomando como aplicação a obra de Eduardo Coutinho - mais especificamente o uso do vídeo pelo cineasta. Para desenvolver este estudo, foi usado como referenciais teóricos a Teoria Ator-Rede e a Teoria das Materialidades da Comunicação, que têm em comum a análise de atores humanos (homem) e não humanos (técnica), além de permitir a justaposição de descrições histórica, biográfica, analítica e empírica a cerca do objeto do estudo. Essas análises mostram que há uma influência mútua e simultânea entre tecnologia e documentário, onde tecnologia influencia a linguagem documental, ao mesmo tempo em que o documentário, ao buscar novas maneiras de se expressar, acossa e afeta os aparatos técnicos, demandando aprimoramentos e transformações nos mesmos. No cinema documental, a tecnologia permitiu diversas contribuições estéticas que vinham sendo requeridas pela prática, como a necessidade de um cinema mais ágil e sonoro que foi viabilizado pelo advento de câmeras menores e do som direto. Esse encontro entre técnica e estética foi visto de perto na obra de Eduardo Coutinho. / The film is an artistic expression mediated by technology since its emergence in the nineteenth century. From this observation, this work investigates the relationship between documentary and technology and how they impact the media languages, taking as applying Eduardo Coutinho's films - specifically the use of video by filmmaker. To develop this study, was used as the theoretical references Actor-Network Theory and the Theory of Materialities of Communication, which have in common the analysis of human (man) and nonhuman (technical) actors, besides allowing the juxtaposition of historical descriptions, biographical, analytical and empirical about the object of study. These analyzes show that there is a simultaneous and mutual influence between documentary and technology, where technology influences language documentary, while the documentary, to seek new ways to express themselves, affects and harasses the technical apparatus, demanding improvements and changes in themselves. In the documentary film, technology has allowed various aesthetic contributions that had been required by the practice, as the need for a more agile and sonorous cinema that was made possible by the advent of smaller cameras and direct sound. This encounter between technical and aesthetic was seen closely with the analysis of Eduardo Coutinho's films.
246

Strategies to Manage Enterprise Information Technology Projects

West, Mario 01 January 2017 (has links)
Since 2005, most midsize company information technology (IT) projects had a 62.4% failure rate because of wrong project team communication skills or cost overruns. IT leaders expect negative IT project outcomes will cost over $2 billion by 2020. Using the actor-network theory, the purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies used by IT leaders from a midsize IT company in Washington, D.C. to plan and execute projects under budget and on time. Using purposeful sampling, 5 IT leaders were selected for this study because of their experience in implementing successful strategies for projects. Data were collected using face-to-face semistructured interviews, company documentation, and internal organizational risk reports. Yin's 5-step process was used for data analysis to compile, disassemble, reassemble, interpret, and conclude the data. The interpretation of data, subjected to methodological triangulation and member checking to strengthen the dependability and credibility of the findings, yielded 3 themes of IT leader communication skills: IT leader strategy, IT leader knowledge, and implementation of cost savings. The findings indicated that IT leaders serve as the key actors in the IT project network, and leader communication skills are essential for implementing strategies for IT project completion and cost savings. With this knowledge, IT leaders can implement strategies to plan and execute projects under budget and on time. The implications for a positive social change includes the potential for IT leaders to reduce project production waste and contribute to economic expansion.
247

Sustainable development for tomorrow : Enabling local implementations of global issuesin Swedish schools

Holmsten, Dag January 2009 (has links)
<p>This study investigates forces and organizational structures that facilitate or hinder sustainabledevelopment to be introduced and integrated in the core activities of public institutions.Specifically, the way global national sustainable development goals find their way into thelocal curriculum and overall-encompassing strategy of a few Swedish high-schools isidentified.To facilitate the search, the study is assisted by actor-network theory to find human and nonhuman―power-brokers‖ that can ensure the adoption and continuous application of newconcepts in a school. A pre-study of several schools, consisting of explorative interviews,located and classified factors and processes of potential importance for the implementation ofactivities related to sustainable development. At the same time, the large variety ofdefinitions of sustainable development encountered was recorded.The main study expanded on the findings from the pre-study and provided a more detailedanalysis of one senior high-school (upper secondary school). Several examples oforganizational structures and other factors– macro-actors in the theoretical model - werelocated with the potential to influence the furthering of the cause of sustainable developmentin that particular school. The possibility is discussed that the school would profit fromdeveloping a common mode of communication based on exploring experiences from applyingthe many issues that can be related to sustainable development. Such an endeavor could resultin organizational change typical of a learning organization. In that case, the resilience andcapacity of the organization to handle abrupt changes in national policy would be increased aswell as the preparedness of its students – our future – to handle rapidly changing situations intomorrow‗s society.The study further suggest that a similar ―tool-box‖ of theoretical models could be applied tothe local implementation of other national issues in an institutional setting.</p>
248

The process of defining and developing Corporate Social Responsibility: A case study of Indiska Magasinet

Grotkowski, Lisa, Thammakun, Ekarit January 2008 (has links)
<p>This study uses Actor – Network Theory as a lens to present a case study of the process by which Indiska Magasinet, a large Swedish retailer, has defined and developed its conceptualization of Corporate Social Responsibility. Actor – Network Theory offers a valuable tool to examine the inter-actor negotiations that precede a conceptualization of Corporate Social Responsibility. The study results are primarily based on interviews with two prominent Indiska personnel in decision-making positions. At the instigation of the writers, the Indiska personnel told stories about the company’s way of working with Corporate Social Responsibility. In doing so, they described four principle examples of how inter-actor negotiations resulted in significant developments in Indiska’s approach to Corporate Social Responsibility. Their stories also highlighted shared values and legitimacy as the main reasons that Indiska allows other actors to influence its conceptualization of Corporate Social Responsibility.</p>
249

Look beyond the bin! : Solid Waste Management and recycling at the Asian Institute of Tecnology

Pietikäinen, Vivi January 2008 (has links)
<p> </p><p>The generation of domestic waste is at present less than 1 kg/day per person in Thailand, but generated amounts keeps steadily growing. This trend is closely connected to an increasing population and economic growth, something that is creating waste management issues. The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) outside Bangkok has the potential of being a leader in sustainable development in the Southeast Asian region, however a substantial opportunity is being missed – best environmental practices are currently not prioritized. Only 4 % of the total waste generated on campus is recycled at AIT, 3 % is composted and 93 % is taken to the municipal waste disposal site. Fluorescent light bulbs and other hazardous household waste are disposed on the campus dumpsite. Some measures have been undertaken in order to improve the solid waste management (SWM) at AIT, e.g. a new waste collection facility has been built in the outskirts of campus, where more space is provided in order to facilitate waste separation.</p><p>The field research for this study was carried out at AIT and the goal was to examine the SWM network, the problems and to analyse the recycling habits on campus. To investigate and visualize the actors involved in the SWM at AIT, the Actor-Network theory (ANT) was applied as an analytical framework. The generation of waste is the macro actor i.e. the reason for the existence of SWM. Other actors are the AIT students and staff (produce waste), the new Campus Environment and Development Committee – CEDC (the controlling part), environmental awareness (attitude towards recycling), and waste collectors.</p><p>The results from the survey witness of that people have a positive but somewhat cautious attitude towards the sustainability of source separation. Separating waste at source is a key mechanism for solving the SWM problem but people are uncertain of how to separate each waste fraction. There is a strong need to designate a coordinator of the SWM at AIT and as long as there is a lack of leadership, a goal of environmentally sustainable practices cannot be reached. The new CEDC is currently not performing any actions towards an integrated SWM.</p><p> </p> / <p> </p><p>Idag produceras mindre än ett kilo hushållsavfall per dag och person i Thailand men mängden växer stadigt med ökad befolkning och bättre ekonomiska förutsättningar vilket leder till sophanteringsproblem. Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) i Thailand har  potential att vara en ledstjärna inom hållbar utveckling i Sydostasien men en stor möjlighet går om intet – den bästa miljömässiga tillämpningen i sophanteringsfrågan prioriteras inte. Endast 4 % av soporna återvinns på AIT, 3 % komposteras och 93 % hamnar på den kommunala soptippen. Lysrör och annat farligt hushållsavfall dumpas på universitetets soptipp. Vissa åtgärder har vidtagits för att förbättra sophanteringen på AIT, t.ex. har en ny sopanläggning byggts i utkanten av campus med ökad kapacitet för sopsortering.</p><p>Fältarbetet för uppsatsen genomfördes på AIT och målet var att kartlägga sophanteringen, nätverket kring den, problemen runtom, samt att analysera återvinningsbeteendet på detta universitetscampus. För att gestalta och utreda aktörerna som är involverade i sophanteringen på AIT, använde jag Actor-Network theory som ett analytiskt verktyg. Själva produceringen av hushållssopor är makroaktören, dvs. skälet till sophanteringens existens. Andra aktörer är studenterna och de anställda på universitetet (skapar sopor), den nya kommittén för Miljö och Utveckling på campus (den kontrollerande delen), miljömedvetenhe (inställningen till återvinning) och sophämtarna.</p><p>Resultaten från enkätunderökningen vittnar om att människorna har en positiv men försiktig inställning gentemot hållbarheten i källsortering. Källsortering är grunden för att lösa sophanteringsproblematiken men folk är osäkra på hur de ska sortera avfallet. Det finns ett stort behov av en avfallshandläggare för sophanteringen på AIT och så länge bristen på ledarskap kvarstår, kan inte målet om miljömässig hållbarhet nås. Den nya kommittén för Miljö och Utveckling på campus genomför för tillfället inga handlingar i riktning mot en integrerad sophantering.</p><p> </p>
250

Assembly required: self-employed workers' informal work-learning in online communities

Thompson, Terrie Lynn 11 1900 (has links)
It seems that for many people, spaces on the web are an integral part of their lives. This may include seeking out learning opportunities in online communities. There is plenty of buzz about these cyberspaces whether they are part of new social media configurations or commercialized product-related spaces cultivated by enterprises. It is important to explore how online spaces mayor may notcreate new locations of educational possibilities for workers. The subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, fusion of these technologies into work-learning practices warrants attention. This research project focuses on online communities as sites of learning, with an over-arching question of: How do self-employed workers experience informal work-related learning in an online community? Community can describe a gathering of people online that is organic and driven by a shared interest. These online spaces may also be purposefully nurtured by professional associations, workplaces, or businesses. This research project focuses on these spacesoutside the auspices of formal online courses. I draw on Actor Network Theory (ANT) to explore how work-learning is enacted in online communities and the implications of the intertwining of people and objects in multiple, fluid and distributed actor-networks. I also use the notion of legitimate peripheral participation from Situated Learning theory to explore how different possibilities for learning are shaped by locations and trajectories within a work practice and larger community of practitioners. Data was collected by interviewing 11 self-employed workers and then following the actors as objects of interest surfaced. This dissertation is a collection of five papers as well as introduction and conclusion chapters and a background chapter on ANT. Findings explore notions of online collectives shifting to more networked configurations, the complexity of work-learning practices unfolding in multiple spaces, contradictions between Web2.0 rhetoric and practices as different associations with knowledge and novel ways of knowing are enacted, and questions about the politics of technology that emerge from uncertainties around delegation, invisible practices, and necessary literacies. Given the need to pull objects out of the background and into critical inquiry, I also explored how a researcher interviews technology objects as participants in a study. / Adult Education

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