Social perspective Beyond individual’s interest Information establishes identity, power Information relative to context Time, locations, people, organizations, cultures, identities Individual too, but focus on group “Information as an individual phenomenon must be examined in the context of its social nature” (Raber, 2003, p. 222) Information Society influences

Social perspective

Taylor Dervin Bush

Social perspective Taylor Dervin Savolainen Rosenbaum Chatman Hjørland Bush Star Frohmann

Social perspective Many different views, but with much in common Talja, S., Tuominen, K., & Savolainen, R. (2005). “Isms” in information science: Constructivism, collectivism and constructionism. Journal of Documentation, 61(1), doi: / Taylor Dervin Savolainen Rosenbaum Chatman Hjørland Bush Star Frohmann

What does the social flamingo’s reality look like? Flock of “birds of a feather”: group, community, network, world flickr photo by Pedro Szekely (szeke), Creative Commons licensed

What does the social flamingo’s reality look like? Flock of “birds of a feather”: group, community, network, world Multiple, overlapping membership Information exchange (or not) squack?squack! flickr photo by Pedro Szekely (szeke), Creative Commons licensed

What does the social flamingo’s reality look like? Flock of “birds of a feather”: group, community, network, world Multiple, overlapping membership Information exchange (or not) Each flock constructs its own reality (with potential overlap) Information, knowledge, information practices / behaviors Mutual influence between flocks and their reality, information, knowledge Reality flickr photo by Pedro Szekely (szeke), Creative Commons licensed

What constitutes information for the social flamingo? Information as (socially constructive / constructed) practice, process, knowledge Context necessary Social flamingos can’t make sense if there is no context

What constitutes information for the social flamingo? Information as (socially constructive / constructed) practice, process, knowledge Context necessary Social flamingos can’t make sense if there is no context flickr photo by Adam Roberts (Spartacus007), Creative Commons licensed

What constitutes information for the social flamingo? Information as (socially constructive / constructed) practice, process, knowledge Context necessary Social flamingos can’t make sense if there is no context Language, discourse of interest What do we call something? What do they call something? Information sought, used in context (individual and of other flamingos) flickr photo by Adam Roberts (Spartacus007), Creative Commons licensed

How is information research conducted in this world? Method Qualitative methods prevail Ethnographic approach Mixed/multi-methods Often a theoretical basis Small worlds / normative behavior (Chatman) Information worlds (Burnett & Jaeger) Everyday life information seeking (Savolainen) Information grounds (Fisher) Social network perspectives (e.g. Haythornthwaite)

“Unless we grasp and understand information as a social phenomenon, we will not be able to penetrate and understand the information ecology whose actions and interactions determine the meaning of … the central concepts of a science of information.” (Raber, “The Problem of Information,” 2003, p. 221)