[Air-L] social change?

[André Brock]

I agree that measuring social change over the short term - in any
discipline - is difficult.  My issue, however, is that much of the
measuring is done ere an assessment/evaluation schema is ever applied.  Why
do we (and I include myself) uncritically assume that information and The
Digital* are transformative when it comes to underrepresented groups?  I
know firsthand of the difficulty; particularly when many of the underserved
 are vehemently technologically determinist themselves...how do you argue
with someone's belief about their own community?

Just once I'd lke to see some research on how  The Digital* shaped the
political behaviors of wealthy donors to a GOP Super PAC.  I bet we'd see a
multivariate, critical analysis of ALL the information behaviors they
brought to the table, rather than a blanket assumption that The Digital*
changed them.

/end rant.

André
__________________________
* "The Digital" (see 'The Sugar' as a Black euphemism for diabetes) refers
to ICTs, their content, protocols, practices, users, designers, AND
beliefs.  You're welcome.


On Saturday, July 28, 2012, John McNutt wrote:

> I think the problem is that measuring the effectiveness of social change
> techniques, especially in the political arena (this is about advocacy,
> right?), isn't all that easy.  The link between technique > Application >
> result is full of confounding variables and alternative possibilities.  It
> is easy to see when something happens, much more work to substantiate the
> cause.
>
> John
>
>
>
> John G. McNutt, Professor
> University of Delaware
> School of Public Policy and Administration
> Coordinator, MPA Nonprofit Concentration
> Newark, DE 19716
> Voice:  302.831.0765
> Fax 302.831.4425
> mcnuttjg at udel.edu <javascript:;>
>
> UD Experts http://udapps.nss.udel.edu/experts/17480775379-John_G_McNutt
> Be ashamed to die until you've won some victory for humanity-Horace Mann
> Somebody has to do something, and it's just incredibly pitiful that it has
> to be us. Jerry Garcia
>
>
> ****************************************************************************
> ***********
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org <javascript:;>
> [mailto:air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org <javascript:;>] On Behalf Of
> André Brock
> Sent: Friday, July 27, 2012 6:43 PM
> To: air-l at listserv.aoir.org <javascript:;>
> Subject: [Air-L] social change?
>
> via Radhika:
>
>      I find many usability surveys that test for how the interface is
> usable
> or
>      not - but they dont necessarily test for the effectiveness of content
> in
>      relation to conveying the social change and advocacy part …
>
> This describes information science in a nutshell.  Can i steal?
>
> André
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-- 
Andre Brock
Assistant Professor - Library and Information Science/POROI
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA 52242