Anders Larsson, Uppsala University: Challenging or reproducing structures? (Non-)use of online interactivity

In the last decade of Internet development, conceptualisations of a “web 2.0″ mainly focusing on enabling and harnessing user generated content have grown increasingly common in both public discourse as well as among researchers interested in the continued growth and transformation of the world wide web. While hopes have generally been held high regarding use of online interactivity, most research projects on the topic have produced results contrary to these hopes. Especially in the contexts of online newspapers and online politics, arguably two areas often seen as being heavily influenced or even challenged by the dawn of the Internet, most users seem to be content with staying users and thus not assuming more active roles of “prosumers”. This talk, based on my PhD thesis, approaches the non-use of online interactive features in online newspaper and political contexts by applying structuration theory. In Anthony Giddens’ original conception, structuration theory posits that social structure is shaped (and possibly altered) as human agents choose to re-enact certain facets of said structure. By changing their uses of the rules and resources made available to them by the structure, human are given agency in relation to overarching, macro-level structures. Giddens’ writings have also been contextualized to the study of ICTs by Wanda Orlikowski, mostly focusing on research at the organizational level. This talk focuses on the aforementioned areas of online newspaper and online politics. It combines insights from both Giddens and Orlikowski, arguing that the average web user is enacting a “structure of audiencehood” rather than a “structure of prosumerism”. The talk further suggests that we should not be surprised at the extent of non-contributions, as the chosen areas of study could be said to represent institutionalised structures – i.e. structures that are not so easily amended.

About Anders,

Anders Olof Larsson (b. 1979) is PhD candidate (as of 2008) and junior lecturer (as of 2004) at the department of Informatics and Media, Uppsala University. He is also affiliated with The Swedish Research School of Management and Information Technology.

Anders is an up and coming scholar in the study of digital media, combining critical approaches to f. ex. political blogging and interactivity with sophisticated quantitative approaches. His work is published in journals such as New Media & Society, Convergence and First Monday.

• Use of online interactivity by societal actors, such as media companies and political parties
• Audience use and perception of online interactive features
• Social media and Web 2.0
• User-generated content in traditional media
• Audience research
• Political communication and participation on the internet
• Methodology, particularly quantitative methods

Find out more at http://www.andersoloflarsson.se.

Välkomna!