| 1. |
- Bernhard, Iréne, 1953-, et al.
(author)
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A digital society for all? : Meanings, practices and policies for digital diversity
- 2019
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In: Proceedings of the 52nd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 2019. - Honolulu, HI, USA. - 9780998133126 ; , s. 3067-3076
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The concept of digital divides has been on the agenda in research and policy making for at least the last 20 years. But it is still, a challenge to grasp this concept that is so elusive and transforming. Inclusion, access and equality are still key values for democratic governance and must be addressed in particular when forming and contributing to a digital government. This paper seeks to intervene in current debates on digital divides and digital inclusion by analyzing two cases of responses among street-level public administration in relation to e-government services in Sweden. The case studies are strategically chosen and conducted in national agencies and in local public libraries. Three lines of contributions are discussed, firstly thei mportance to care for equality secondly the need to seethe non-users, and thirdly to discuss the potential of putting focus on digital diversity.
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| 2. |
- Eidenskog, Maria, 1981-, et al.
(author)
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Changing the world one engineer at a time – unmaking the traditional engineering education when introducing sustainability subjects
- 2023
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In: International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. - : EMERALD GROUP PUBLISHING LTD. - 1467-6370 .- 1758-6739. ; 24:9, s. 70-84
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: The information technology (IT) sector has been seen as central to society's transformation to a more just and sustainable society, which underlines teachers’ responsibility to foster engineers who can contribute specifically to such ends. This study aims to report an effort to significantly update an existing engineering programme in IT with this ambition and to analyse the effects and challenges associated with the transformation.Design/methodology/approach: This study is based on a combination of action-oriented research based on implementing key changes to the curriculum; empirical investigations including surveys and interviews with students and teachers, and analysis of these; and a science and technology studies-inspired analysis.Findings: Respondents were generally positive towards adding topics relating to sustainability. However, in the unmaking of traditional engineering subjects, changes created a conflict between core versus soft subjects in which the core subjects tended to gain the upper hand. This conflict can be turned into productive discussions by focusing on what kinds of engineers the authors’ educate and how students can be introduced to societal problems as an integrated part of their education.Practical implications: This study can be helpful for educators in the engineering domain to support them in their efforts to transition from a (narrow) focus on traditional disciplines to one where the bettering of society is at the core.Originality/value: This study provides a novel approach to the transformation of engineering education through a theoretical analysis seldom used in studies of higher education on a novel case study.
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| 3. |
- Granath, Malin, 1974-, et al.
(author)
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The smart meter as a boundary object-insights from an empirical case
- 2023
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In: European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS) 2023. - Kristiansand, Norway : AIS eLibrary.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Smart meters are often understood as central devices in the smart, flexible and sustainable electric grid, enabling consumers to adapt their electricity use to current supply. In this study we are interested in how different actors in a Swedish context understand the smart meters and fit them into their locally situated practices and contexts, and we analyze the smart meters with the concept of boundary objects as an analytical lens with the purpose of describing and explaining tensions between actors in intended and actual use of smart meters. The case study builds on empirical material from policy documents, web pages and user forums, and include the Swedish government, authorities, grid operators and electricity suppliers as well as consumers. The main conclusions are that consumers were not included in the design and roll-out of the smart meters, resulting in that the available information requires consumers to be active and resourceful experts.
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| 4. |
- Gustafsson, Mariana S., 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Repairment of Unstable Sociomaterial Relations: A study on librarians’ and social workers’ roles and practices in addressing the complex needs of vulnerable groups
- 2021
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In this paper we address the increased digitalization of the fabric of modern welfare societies, and the expectations on individuals to be independent and digitally capable that follows from this. We focus on repairment practices aimed at repairing the lives of individuals situated in unstable sociomaterial relations in the context of social care and a public library in Sweden. The aim was to explore repairment practices in two Swedish empirical contexts: one in a municipal library setting, and one in a social service setting. The analysis was conducted with the help of the concept of repairment, understood in relation to feminist STS points of departure of relationality and entanglement of humans and non-humans. We conducted interviews and observations in these two settings and analyzed these with the help of the concept of repair. The analysis shows that in the context of social service, repairment was enacted differently in relation to different interpretations of existing legislation concerning minimal livelihoods, and that in the context of the public library repairment was enacted in relation to expectations of the library visitors to become digitally independent. We also relate these repairment practices to the current pandemic.
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| 5. |
- Iacobaeus, Helena, 1980-, et al.
(author)
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Digitalt utanförskap : en forskningsöversikt
- 2019
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Den här rapporten bygger på en kartläggande litteraturstudie om internationell forskning av digitalt utanförskap. Digitalt utanförskap är ett demokratiskt problem när alltfler välfärdstjänster digitaliseras. Rapportens syfte är att undersöka vilken forskning som har publicerats inom området digital exkludering, samt vilka faktorer som nämns som bidrar till digital exkludering och vilka grupper som studerats som digitalt exkluderade tidigare.ModellEn användbar modell för att analysera digitalt utanförskap har utarbetats av forskaren Jan van Dijk. Den har tidigare illustrerats som en triangel med motivation som bred bas, men utifrån vårt arbete med denna forskningsöversikt föreslår vi att den illustreras som en trappa med stegen: motivation, tillgång, färdigheter, användning. Denna modell visar hur forskningen har gått från fokus på tillgång till digital teknik, till att se det som ett mer komplext fenomen.ResultatResultatet visar att tidigare forskning har förklarat och förstått individuellt digitalt utanförskap utifrån följande faktorer:Bristande motivationBristande infrastruktur/tillgångBristande kunskap och färdigheterLåg socioekonomisk statusBristande tillit/självtillitNär det kommer till samhälleliga faktorer som kan bidra till digitalt utanförskap så nämns:Bristande styrning och ledningMotsatsen till digitalt utanförskap är digital delaktighet och inkludering. Det främsta resultatet visar att det är en pågående process som här liknas vid en trappa. Eftersom den digitala utvecklingen är pågående kan inte digital kompetens och inkludering ses som avslutade processer; människor måste ständigt uppgradera sina kompetenser för att kunna hänga med. Människor som befinner sig på de övre stegen kan dock halka ner vid en förändrad livssituation,som att gå från anställning till arbetslöshet.SlutsatserDet saknas enhetliga begrepp om vad som avses med digitalt utanförskap, inkludering och kompetens, vilket kan försvåra jämförelserDigital inkludering är pågående process, som människor kan halka efter iDigitalt utanförskap kan förstås utifrån situationer snarare än utifrån människors karaktär eller identitet (som implicit innebär att det kan undvikas)Digitalt utanförskap kan handla om komplexa samband mellan flera faktorerDigitalt utanförskap kan förekomma i olika sociala grupper och ålderskategorierRapporten har en sammanställning över faktorer som lyfts fram i tidigare forskning som gynnsamma för insatser som syftar till digital inkludering. Det handlar om faktorer som i stort återspeglas i ovan nämnda modell:MotiveraSkapa tillgångFrämja färdigheterFrämja användningIdéer för fortsatt forskningMed slutsatsen i tidigare forskning om att digital inkludering är en pågående och komplex process eftersom den digitala tekniken ständigt utvecklas behövs fortsatt forskning som visar hur olika faktorer hänger samman och kan bidra till inkludering eller exkludering. Det behövs även fortsatt forskning om olika grupper, till exempel nyanlända och migranter samt människor med olika funktionsvariationer. Att fokusera på hur olika situationer påverkar digital delaktighet och inkludering framstår som relevant. Mer tillämpad forskning om hur offentliga digitala system och tjänster designas inom ett svenskt sammanhang skulle också vara värdefull, liksom utvecklandet av nydanande metoder för att studera digital delaktighet.
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| 6. |
- S. Gustafsson, Mariana, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Technology Mediated Citizenship : What Can We Learn from Library Practices
- 2020
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In: Electronic Participation. - Cham : Springer. - 9783030581404 ; , s. 109-120
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Advanced digital societies in democratic societies are conceived to besustained by informed, active and responsible citizens. While internet and informationtechnologies are both hailed for their empowering potential for the citizensto express their civic and political rights, they also pose considerable literacy andusage challenges, and thus can raise exclusionary thresholds for these same aspirations.Digital skills and information literacy as preconditions for tapping intosuch technology potential, can thus affect theway citizenship is practiced and conceivedby the members of society. Based on an extensive field study at Swedishlibraries practices with helping and educating clientswith awide diversity of questionsrelating to digital technologies and e-services, we examine both empiricallyand conceptually how citizenship is practiced in an advanced digital society, ina universal welfare state. The analysis focused on citizenship practices in dailyactivities when technologies mediate participation and interaction among the public,civic andmarket actors. The conclusions contribute to the conceptualization ofcitizenship act and agency and elaborates on citizenship as a performative process.
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| 7. |
- Sefyrin, Johanna, 1972-, et al.
(author)
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Addressing digital diversity: Care matters in vulnerable digital relations in a Swedish library context
- 2021
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In: Science and Public Policy. - : Oxford University Press. - 0302-3427 .- 1471-5430. ; 48:6, s. 841-848
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- As societies become increasingly digitalized, the requirements for inclusion continuously increase. In a Swedish public, municipal, library context,it is common that individuals who face difficulties related to digital technologies come and ask for help. In this paper, we explore care in relationsconstituted by individuals and digital technologies and analyze how care matters for digital inclusion. It builds on field studies in a Swedish librarycontext and includes qualitative interviews, focus groups, and observations of employees working to support individuals with digital needs. Inorder to analyze the material, we apply the concept of care. In the concluding discussion, we argue first for viewing individuals as sociomaterialentanglements of relations constituted by humans and non-humans, second that these soc
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| 8. |
- Sefyrin, Johanna, 1972-, et al.
(author)
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Addressing Digital Diversity in an Advanced Information Society : Ethics of care in a Swedish library context
- 2019
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The purpose of the paper is to use the concept of ethics of care in order to explore and reconceptualize the entangled relations that come into play when employees (librarians and others) in a Swedish public librariy context work to support citizens with digital problems. Application of ethics of care lens is interesting in this context from at least two perspectives. It can be used as a theoretical lens to analyze the librarians’ care practices in their mission for digital inclusion and addressing digital diversity needs. By uncovering the entanglements of relations between the librarians, the services, the visitors of the library, and the digital technologies, it opens for a contribution to the reconceptualization of digital citizenship (Mossberger et al, 2008) in relation to digital divide and participation, as well as access to services and opportunities. A care ethics lens is also valuable in terms of uncovering tensions and value conflicts that arise from normatively conflicting principles that govern public administrations in practice, such ex. New Public Management (Giritli Nygren, 2009; Rose, Persson, & Heeager, 2015), or service manufacturing logics governed by business rationale (Cordella, Paletti, Chun, Adam, & Noveck, 2018; Gustafsson & Wihlborg, 2019).
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| 9. |
- Sefyrin, Johanna, 1972-
(author)
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Att utveckla framtidens informationssystem : Problematiska gränsdragningar mellan det sociala och det tekniska
- 2018
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Den här rapporten handlar om relationen mellan tekniska och sociala aspekter av en verksamhet, i kontexten analys och utveckling av informationssystem. Den empiriska kontexten för rapporten utgörs av en förstudie i polisorganisationen som genomfördes under 2016-2017 med syfte att undersöka möjligheterna att utveckla ett nytt ledningsstödsystem. Studien genomfördes som en fallstudie med deltagande observationer av möten, intervjuer, samt projektdokumentation ligger till grund för analysen. Det empiriska material som ligger till grund för studien är en rapport som fokuserar på verksamhetsanalys av polisorganisationen, och framförallt de delar av rapporten som beskriver verksamhetens nuvarande förmågor och behov relaterat till ett nytt ledningsstödsystem. Rapporten analyserades med hjälp av analytiska begrepp såsom socioteknisk teori, deltagande design och sociomateriell teori. Analysen visar att det i beskrivningarna av verksamhetens förmågor finns en viss övervikt av tekniska formuleringar, något som kan förstås på flera olika sätt. Dels kan det förstås som att det tekniska och det sociala hänger så intimt samman i moderna organisationer att tidigare gränsdragningar mellan dessa har spelat ut sin roll. Det kan också förstås som en otydlighet som går bra att bibehålla i en förstudie och utifrån ett verksamhetsperspektiv, men kan komma att behöva tydliggöras ifall det kommer till konkret utveckling av ett ledningsstödsystem. Övervikten av tekniska formuleringar ger också intryck av en viss teknikoptimism. Slutsatsen är att gränsdragningar mellan tekniska och sociala aspekter av en verksamhet blir betydelsefulla på olika sätt i olika faser av design av informationssystem, något som man behöver ta hänsyn till vid utvecklingen av informationssystem mer generellt.
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| 10. |
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