ABSTRACT

This multi-disciplinary book develops three intertwined themes: the perspective of situated action from cognitive science, a model of social context as a framework for inspiring artifact use and starting from it, and the individual and organizational impact of the new electronic environments of communication. Using plenty of up-to-date references from different scientific disciplines such as HCI, computer-mediated communication, cognitive sciences, social psychology, cultural anthropology and research in decision making, the book challenges older models of communication as information transfer and discusses the new communication environments.

chapter |3 pages

Introduction:

From Uses to Social Actors in Context

part One|37 pages

The ‘Situated Action’ Approach

chapter Chapter One|12 pages

The New ‘Black Box’

Everyday Situations

chapter Chapter Two|11 pages

Circumstances, Plans and Situated Action

chapter Chapter Three|12 pages

Decision-making, Appropriateness and Identity

part Two|27 pages

How a Shared Meaning is Developed

chapter Chapter Four|14 pages

The Social Context as Symbolic Order and Social Norms

chapter Chapter Five|11 pages

Technological and Normative Artifacts as Embodied Projects

part Three|62 pages

New Environments of Cooperation and Communication

chapter Chapter Six|16 pages

Computer-supported Cooperative Work

chapter Chapter Seven|19 pages

Computer-mediated Communication

chapter Chapter Eight|20 pages

Virtual Environments and the Development of Possible Selves

chapter Chapter Nine|5 pages

Conclusions

Electronic Communication, Social Context and Virtual Identities