| 1. |
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Users in Action. Stories of Users and Telematics in Everyday Life
- 1999
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Samlingsverk (redaktörskap) (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Detta är en antologi som består av exempel på empiriska studier där äldre människors varit involverade som subjekt. Resultatet visar att äldres teknikanvändning i vardagen problematiseras på tre nivåer. den första nivån fokuserar konstruktionen och utformningen av artefakten; den andra nivån användningen av tekniken i den vardagliga kontexten; den tredje nivån relationen mellan teknikutvecklingen och användaren som samhällsvarelse.
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| 2. |
- Chang, Fangyuan, et al.
(författare)
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Domesticating Social Alarm Systems in Nursing Homes : A Qualitative Study of Understanding Differences in the Perspectives between Middle Managers and Assistant Nurses
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: New social alarm solutions are viewed as a promising approach to alleviating the global challenge of an aging population and a shortage of care staff. However, the implementation of social alarm systems in nursing homes has proven both complex and difficult. Current studies have recognized the benefits of involving actors such as assistant nurses and middle managers in advancing these implementations, however the differences in their perspectives during the implementation of these novel technologies have received less attention.Methods: Based in domestication theory, this paper aims to better understand the perspectives of middle managers and assistant nurses during four domestication phases. We interviewed middle managers (n = 5) and assistant nurses (n = 17) working in nursing homes to understand the two groups’ perceptions and practices during the implementation of social alarm systems.Results: During the four domestication phases, a total of four differences in perspectives emerged between the groups, including (a) system conceptualization; (b) spatial employment of social alarm devices; (c) treatment of unexpected implementation issues; and (d) evaluation of inconsistent competence in technology use. Our findings elaborate how individuals from the two groups have distinct goals, focus on different facets, and develop diverse coping strategies over time. Taking a closer look into middle managers’ and assistant nurses’ ways of overcoming these differences, we propose a tentative concept: “collective domestication“ to call for more studies about collective practices during technology domestication within organizations.Conclusion: Our findings reveal a divide between middle managers and assistant nurses in terms of domesticating social alarm systems and stress the potential of learning from each other to facilitate the whole process. Further studies could focus on the role of collective practices during different domestication phases to enhance the understanding of technology implementation in the contexts of complex interactions across groups.
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| 3. |
- Chang, Fangyuan
(författare)
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Socio-technical Transformations in Care Practices : Investigating the Implementation of Social Alarm Systems in Nursing Homes
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The worldwide shortage of qualified care workers along with the increasing need for elderly care services has restrained the capacity of nursing homes to offer their residents high-quality care services. Along with digitalization, policymakers believe that technological advancements can improve the efficiency of care and streamline care work, thus helping to alleviate the challenge above. These investments include the creation of new care services by adopting innovations such as social robots, and the update of existing care services by replacing analogue technologies with digital versions, such as social alarm systems. While numerous studies have discussed the implementation of new digital technologies, the digitalization of existing care services has received less attention.This dissertation conducts empirical investigations on the digitalization of social alarm systems in four Swedish nursing homes. By applying theories of social shaping of technology with a focus on socio-technical transformations in care practices, it asks how implementation of the new social alarm systems is socially shaped in care practices. The social alarm system is an established technology that aims to enable users to call for help in emergencies. Based on a literature review of the central theme (Paper I), the dissertation examines discrepancies between planned and actual implementation outcomes (Paper II), differences within a team during project executing (Paper III), and the relationship between individuals’ actual use of technology and the assumptions inscribed in the system and the diverse care concepts in nursing homes (Paper IV). The methodological basis of the dissertation comprises analysis of implementation documents, observations of healthcare professionals’ daily work, interviews with employees of both technology companies and nursing homes, questionnaires completed by healthcare professionals, and a literature review.The results reveal that technology implementation is far from predictable outside the care context. During the implementation process, people from different groups have distinct goals, focus on different facets, and develop diverse approaches for integrating the system into daily work. Frontline professionals determine their ways of using the new social alarm system based on their personal and situational understanding of technology scripts and care concepts under given contexts. The results contribute to theoretical clarifications as well as practical possibilities and limitations to guide the implementation of social alarm systems in nursing homes. The findings indicate that the introduction of a digital social alarm system brings various changes. The digitalization of social alarm services in nursing homes can benefit from a clear positioning of the new system, a common ground for sufficient communication between actors involved, and an in-depth interpretation of local environments, as well as flexible and continuous implementation strategies.
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| 4. |
- Chang, Fangyuan, et al.
(författare)
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Technology scripts in care practice : A case study of assistant nurses’ use of a social alarm system in Swedish nursing homes
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: Technologies such as social alarm systems contain expectations about how they should be integrated and used in practice. These expectations, also called technology scripts, usually fail to consider all the complexity in care practice. Shifting the focus from technology scripts to care practice, this paper examines how a social alarm system is used in assistant nurses’ care practices in nursing homes.Methods: The paper draws on observations of assistant nurses’ daily tasks (32 hours) and semi-structured interviews with assistant nurses (n=12) in two Swedish nursing homes. The observation data were used to understand the care contexts and assistant nurses’ technology-mediated care practices, while interviews were used to deeply understand assistant nurses’ perceptions of the system, their care practices, and which aspects they considered during the provision of care.Results: We show the complexities involved in integrating a social alarm system into care practices based on assistant nurses’ situational and personal interpretations of both technology scripts and quality of care. In technology-mediated care practices, consisting of receiving alarms from residents, checking alarms, responding to alarms and documenting finished alarms, the assistant nurses defined technology scripts according to their expected requirements and outcomes, and meanwhile considered the quality of care by evaluating the priority of practical, moral or relational care in the situations at hand. Through further negotiations with the defined scripts and the considered quality of care, the assistant nurses decided on the final way of using (or not using) the system in practice.Conclusion: Results from our survey portray the complexity of technology in care practices. The findings contribute to increased understanding of technology-mediated care practices in nursing homes, and research on technology scripts in normative settings.
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| 5. |
- Chen, Xin, et al.
(författare)
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Maintenance and Reformulation of Filial Piety and Filial Practice in Sweden : Perspectives of Digitally Empowered Midlife and Older Chinese Immigrants
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Filial piety is a core cultural norm in East Asian countries that shapes eldercare obligations and responsibilities. Research on migration and science technology studies (STS) demonstrates the potential of digital technologies to influence the acculturation experiences of immigrants, but the primary focus has been on younger generations. This paper explores how the combination of digital technologies and acculturation influences expectations of filial piety and filial practices of midlife and older Chinese immigrants in Sweden. In-depth interviews of eight midlife and older Chinese immigrants provided qualitative data for thematic analysis, revealing that the in-formants expected to be more independent in later life but to maintain a close and reciprocally supportive relationship with their adult children. They considered their acculturation experiences to be both satisfying and challenging. The uptake of digital technology ensured frequent contact with Chinese communities and enhanced their experience of life in Sweden. The findings suggest a potential need for intervention through formal care supports for older Chinese immigrants, despite the stereotype of interdependence and family-based care. This study also provides insight into the need for social inclusion in Sweden by incorporating cultural preferences into digital communication and the design of care provision.
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| 6. |
- Chen, Xin
(författare)
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Older immigrants in need of care in times of digitalization : The case of filial piety in transition among Chinese families in Sweden
- 2021
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Globalization has facilitated international communication and economic activities that motivate more international migration. Different cultures and values from the West and the East are interwoven in the same social context. Meanwhile, aging has become a notable phenomenon in most developed countries due to declining fertility and increased life expectancy. A digital transformation of society is taking place alongside the aging and international migration that will start to question the image of older adults and the patterns of providing elderly care. Chinese elderly care is characterized by familism providing family-based informal care to an older family member. Despite the influence of migration and modern lifestyles, filial piety is expected to continue to guide the care responsibilities and care providing among Chinese families. This thesis aims to understand the cultural provision of support and care for Chinese older adults living in Sweden and under the influence of the digital transformation of society. It starts by exploring the disparities, barriers, and facilitators for older immigrants in need of home care to utilize digital technology. After constructing knowledge about the influences of the foreign environment and continuous digitalization in home care, the thesis seeks to understand how filial piety continues to be enacted; what part of the tradition is preserved, and what is changed; how the internal and external factors influence the decision of elderly care; and the role of digitalization in this process. The thesis utilizes qualitative in-depth interviews to continue investigations among eight midlife and older Chinese immigrants living in Sweden. Thematic analysis was employed for data analysis. Berry’s acculturation framework and Yeh’s Dual Filial Piety Model provide the theoretical ground for the research. The results indicated that filial piety is in transition in terms of filial responsibilities, filial behaviors, and intergenerational relationships. Despite the differences in the acculturation level, the authoritarian element of filial piety lacked ground in the Swedish social context. Respondents showed their willingness to strengthen the reciprocity with their adult children by providing additional support, valuing affections rather than hands-on care, respecting adult children’s decisions. The uptake of digital technologies has enabled midlife and older Chinese immigrants to maintain more frequent contact with family members and friends in other countries. It also improves the autonomy and capabilities for respondents to plan more independent later lives. The conclusion is that traditional values such as filial piety was not as prominent in Sweden as they are in China.
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| 7. |
- Chen, Xin, et al.
(författare)
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The Use Of Information And Communication Technology Among Older Immigrants In Need Of Home Care : A Systematic Literature Review
- 2021
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Ingår i: Ageing International. - : Springer Nature. - 0163-5158 .- 1936-606X.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Better home care and home care technologies are no longer requested solely by nonimmigrant older adults but also by members of the fast-growing older adult immigrant population. However, limited attention has been given to this issue, or to the use of technology in meeting the needs of aging populations. The objective of this review is to map existing knowledge of older adult immigrants' use of information and communication technologies for home care service published in scientific literature from 2014 to 2020. Twelve studies met the established eligibility criteria in a systematic literature search. The results showed older adult immigrants faced similar barriers, which were independent of their ethnic backgrounds but related to their backgrounds as immigrants including lower socioeconomic status, low language proficiency, and comparatively lower levels of social inclusion. Technology use could be facilitated if older adult immigrants received culturally-tailored products and support from family members and from society. The results imply that the included studies do not address or integrate cultural preferences in the development of information and communication technology for home care services. Caregivers might provide an opportunity to bridge gaps between older immigrants' cultural preferences and technology design. This specific research field would also benefit from greater interest in the development of novel methodologies.
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| 8. |
- Cozza, Michela, et al.
(författare)
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When Theory meets Practice in Entanglements of Ageing and Technology
- 2020
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Ingår i: Tecnoscienza. - : STS Italia. - 2038-3460. ; 11:2, s. 5-11
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This special issue contributes to the new academic field known as Socio-gerontechnology, which has emerged at the cross-section of STS and Age Studies. All contributions published in the following pages explore what happens when theories meet practice in the relation between ageing and technology, by pointing out the role of design(ers) in configuring and reconfiguring such a relation. In line with the so-called "engaged program" in STS, these articles address different topics of political importance and pragmatic relevance. Indeed, they share the critique of ageist images that underlie public and specialist discourses around ageing and technology. By combining the emancipatory thrive of critical studies of age and ageing and the nuanced STS approach to the study of the entanglements of ageing and technology, this special issue offers a collection of theoretical elaborations and methodological considerations developed along with empirical analyses. Overall, they explore the practical politics of technology, within the growing field of Socio-gerontechnology.
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| 9. |
- Fischer, Björn
(författare)
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A Socio-Material Study of User Involvement : Interrogating the practices of technology development for older people in a digitalised world
- 2022
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Population ageing and increased digitalization each constitute an ongoing and profound transformation within contemporary modes of living, as growing advances in technological development mix and intermingle with the lived realities of older people as the final recipients. It is against the backdrop of this interplay that user involvement has enjoyed ever-rising advocacy to an almost normative degree. Beyond articulating methodological principles, however, the literature has remained surprisingly vague as to the practical implementation of the approach. Less appears to be known, both empirically and conceptually, about how design and user involvement are done in practice and how they would matter to bring about intentional or unintentional effects. To engage with these developments, this thesis aims at taking the practices of user involvement and design to the centre of its inquiry by adopting a perspective from Science and Technology Studies (STS). Specifically, the thesis seeks to both build on and contribute to the established body of STS on the connection between technology design and older users and ask: What is there to learn about user involvement as a method, if we focus on the practices of doing user involvement? To answer this question, the thesis studies four different aspects of the practices of user involvement and design. In particular, the thesis reviews the literature on how user involvement mattered in previous empirical projects that include older people (Paper I), it examines how different configurations of participation matter in design workshops (Paper II), it scrutinizes the achievement of user involvement in corporate practices (Paper III) and it traces the circumstantial performances of such practices (Paper IV). The largest empirical piece comes from a two-year ethnographic study of a small- to medium-sized enterprise, the material from which informed Paper III and Paper IV.The findings highlight how user involvement in practice is both contingent and transformative, as it selectively enrols different participants and performs multiple realities. In practice, user involvement appears to be dependent on a set of underlying premises and socio-material conditions and thus is always a dynamic and momentary achievement. Furthermore, the thesis shows how the practices of user involvement themselves may bring into existence different realities, articulating and materializing particular versions of objects and images of ageing. Accordingly, the thesis contributes theoretically by illuminating the underlying socio-material facets of user involvement, and by emphasizing ageing as a particular object/image of design. Specifically, the appended papers encompass a conceptual framework, as well as three new concepts: design multiple, shifting interstices and viscous image landscape, in order to theorize the underlying conditions for user involvement, its relationship with design and its entanglement with ageing. Practically, the thesis enunciates three main implications regarding questions of goodness, politics and ethics.
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| 10. |
- Fischer, Björn, et al.
(författare)
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Aging enacted in practice: How unloved objects thrive in the shadows of care
- 2024
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Ingår i: Journal of Aging Studies. - : Elsevier Ltd. - 0890-4065 .- 1879-193X. ; 71
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this paper, we explore the seeming stability of aging. More precisely, we offer an empirical account of how aging – images of aging, embodiments of aging, feelings about aging – is enacted in company practice, both in place and across time. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork conducted at SMCare, a small-to-medium sized company active in the care technology sector, we show how aging achieves its stability not through practices that are characterized by affection, or purposefully targeted at maintaining or caring for aging, but due to ongoing re-enactments in the shadows of other care practices. In so doing, we mobilize STS care literature that foregrounds the often-invisible relationships among objects that are otherwise neglected, marginalized and excluded. In particular, we interrogate the interlinkages between aging and caring practices as emerging in the shadows of care. In these blind spots, we find, certain unloved and disliked objects such as aging may aggregate and grow, becoming stable and durable as they are incidentally brought into existence, drawing energy from, and feeding off, other care practices.
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