The Mind or the Heart? It depends on the (definition of) situation

Seminar, 8 June 2004, 3-5pm, i-studio5

Claudio Ciborra, Professor of Information Systems, LSE

Abstract

These days everything in organisation theory and information systems (IS) that wants to be alternative is 'situated'. In knowledge management it is about 'situated knowledge'. In innovation and learning it is about 'situated change'. In media studies it is 'situated cultures'. In planning and artificial intelligence (AI) it is 'situated action'.

In a recent and influential article on the 'practice lens' in studying structuration and technology, the most quoted IS researcher, W Orlikowski from MIT, uses (without ever defining it) the term 'situated' 31 times. Curiously enough she mentions (without applying or defining it) the term 'emotional' three times, of which one in a final footnote where she thanks an unknown reviewer for having reminded her that this dimension might be important, too. All this is a bit bizarre and very American.

Situatedness was coined by continental phenomenologists, and the actual translation of situated in German is 'befindlich', a term that refers simultaneously to situational circumstances of action and the emotional disposition of the how do you feel.

The seminar compares as two distinct case studies two approaches to situatedness. The first one is the classic study by Lucy Suchman carried out at Xerox Parc in the 80s on situated action and describes the human-machine interactions of people dealing with a complex photocopying machine and its expert system. The second is taken from the early courses of M Heidegger (1919-21) where he first introduces the concept of situation in phenomenology and applies to study the life situation of communities undergoing radical change.

Although both studies refer to phenomenology as a background, the contrast in aims, method, scope, approach and outcomes could not be more blatant. Comparing the original thrust of phenomenology in introducing the notion of situatedness with the present day California rendition is scary. Much of the original innovation and radical thinking has got lost. The PARC approach today in good currency is just a pale instance of what the phenomenology manifesto contained. Moreover, the present approaches feature methods and characteristics that are the very aspects phenomenology wanted to fight. All this has also dramatic implications for how to conduct field work, gather data, the relationship with the studied subjects, etc.

This seminar is part of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)-funded ICTs in the Contemporary World: work management and culture series and is open to the public. UK PhD students are particularly encouraged to participate and their travels costs are subsidised. For more information about support for doctoral students email e.s.keys@lse.ac.uk.

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