Technology Mediated Citizenship : What Can We Learn from Library Practices

• 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.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Statsvetenskap -- Statsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Political Science -- Political Science (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Digital citizenship

Public digital services

Agency

Library

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)