Community Informatics : Shaping Computer-Mediated Social Networks

✍ Scribed by Dave Eagle, Barry Hague, Leigh Keeble, Brian D. Loader

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2001
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 413
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Community groups, social support networks, voluntary agencies and government organisations are all actively exploring the potential of the new information and communication technologies to bring about democratic development and renewal. A rich variety of social experiments in what has become known as Community Informatics is now beginning to provide useful research findings and exciting examples of innovative applications. This book sets down some of the defining features of a Community Informatics approach and some of the common themes which are emerging. In particular it considers the following issues: * sustainability * employment * community management * public service provision * partnerships of stakeholders * local learning * social support and networks. This edited collection brings together leading exponents of Community Informatics from around the world and critically evaluates their experiences.

✦ Table of Contents

Book Cover......Page 1
Title......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Contents......Page 8
1 Community informatics: themes and issues......Page 26
2 Staten Island stories......Page 36
3 Physical place and cyberplace: the rise of networked individualism......Page 42
4 Creating community in conspiracy with the enemy......Page 68
5 The technological story of a women’s centre......Page 78
6 The safety Net? Some reflections on the emergence of computer-mediated self-help and social support......Page 96
7 Community networks and access for all in the era of the free Internet: ‘Discovering the Treasure’ of community......Page 114
8 On crafting a study of digital community networks: theoretical and methodological considerations......Page 126
9 Community networking in Russia: identifying the research agenda......Page 143
10 Some lessons of social experiments with technology......Page 154
11 Change agency and women’s learning: new practices in community informatics......Page 174
12 Social capital and cyberpower in the African-American community......Page 202
13 Online forums as a tool for people-centred governance: experiences from local government in Sweden......Page 230
14 Surveillance in the community......Page 245
15 The techno-flâneur: tele-erotic re-presentation of women’s life spaces......Page 265
16 Community informatics, community networks and strategies for flexible networking......Page 288
17 Cultivating society’s civic intelligence......Page 309
18 Participating in the information society......Page 330
19 Communities and community e-gateways: networking for social inclusion......Page 349
Glossary......Page 367
Bibliography......Page 370
Index......Page 403