Webscience, 'social machines' and principles for redesigning theories of agency: a prolegomenon
Webscience, 'social machines' and principles for redesigning theories of agency: a prolegomenon
This paper argues that the advent of the WWW and the principles now developing for the move ‘social machines’ has posed serious challenges to traditional social theory. In particular, it is argued that the concept of social machines and the forms of distributed agency they imply amplify ‘deep flaws’ in the underlying principles of current agency theories that make empirical work using such frameworks ‘undecidable’. The occasioning of social machines and the WWW here are examined for the ways in which the traditional models of agency, involving reflexivity/skill dynamics, can be dismantled and new principles for re-designed agency theory posed. One key problem and three re-design principles are identified.
Vass, J.
dc15b906-c479-4738-a58d-d163a892c0aa
May 2013
Vass, J.
dc15b906-c479-4738-a58d-d163a892c0aa
Vass, J.
(2013)
Webscience, 'social machines' and principles for redesigning theories of agency: a prolegomenon.
ACM Webscience Track Conference, Paris, France.
02 - 04 May 2013.
Record type:
Conference or Workshop Item
(Paper)
Abstract
This paper argues that the advent of the WWW and the principles now developing for the move ‘social machines’ has posed serious challenges to traditional social theory. In particular, it is argued that the concept of social machines and the forms of distributed agency they imply amplify ‘deep flaws’ in the underlying principles of current agency theories that make empirical work using such frameworks ‘undecidable’. The occasioning of social machines and the WWW here are examined for the ways in which the traditional models of agency, involving reflexivity/skill dynamics, can be dismantled and new principles for re-designed agency theory posed. One key problem and three re-design principles are identified.
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Published date: May 2013
Venue - Dates:
ACM Webscience Track Conference, Paris, France, 2013-05-02 - 2013-05-04
Organisations:
Sociology, Social Policy & Criminology
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Local EPrints ID: 359190
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/359190
PURE UUID: e4c9d880-a94b-48e8-b066-1aaaa9a7a7bc
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Date deposited: 23 Oct 2013 13:41
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 15:18
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Author:
J. Vass
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