Information and Communication Technologies in Support of Remembering: A Postphenomenological Study
2014 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
This thesis aimed to study the everyday use of ICT-enabled memory aids in order to understand and to describe the technological mediations that are brought by them (i.e. how they shape/mediate experiences and actions of their users). To do this, a post-phenomenological approach was appropriated. Postphenomenology is a modified, hybrid phenomenology that tries to overcome the limitations of phenomenology. As for theoretical framework, ‘Technological Mediation’ was adopted to conduct the study. Technological Mediation as a theory provides concepts suitable for explorations of the phenomenon of human-technology relation.
It was believed that this specific choice of approach and theoretical framework would provide a new way of exploring the use of concrete technologies in everyday life of human beings and the implications that this use might have on humans’ lives. The study was conducted in the city of Växjö, Sweden. Data was collected by conducting twelve face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Collected data was, then, analyzed by applying the concepts within the theoretical framework – Technological Mediation - to them.
The results of this study provided a list of ICT-enabled devices and services that participants were using in their everyday life in order to support their memory such as: calendars, alarms, notes, bookmarks, etc. Furthermore, this study resulted in a detailed description of how these devices and services shaped/mediated the experiences and the actions of their users.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2014. , p. 78
Keywords [en]
Postphenomenology, Technological Mediation, Remembering, ICT-enabled Memory Aids
National Category
Information Systems
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-32692OAI: oai:DiVA.org:lnu-32692DiVA, id: diva2:703717
Educational program
Master Programme in Information Systems, 120 credits
Supervisors
Examiners
2014-03-102014-03-082018-01-11Bibliographically approved