Systems Practice in the Information Society

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ISBN: 9780415992312 | 0415992311
Cover: Nonspecific Binding
Copyright: 12/16/2009

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Bringing experiences, ideas, and applications of systemic thinking in designing and evaluating socio-technological initiatives, the book explores how organizations, including governments, can enable better access to information and communication technologies and improve the quality of life of individuals.

List of Tables	p. x
List of Figures	p. xi
List of Permissions	p. xii
Preface	p. xiii
Acknowledgments	p. xvii
Introduction	p. 1
Objectives	p. 1
The Information Society	p. 1
Transformations	p. 2
Engagement(s)	p. 3
Unintended Consequences	p. 4
Issues of Concern About the Information Society	p. 4
Systems-thinking	p. 5
Possibilities to Improve Systems-thinking Practice	p. 7
The Purpose of this Book	p. 7
The Structure of the Book	p. 8
Chapter Summary	p. 9
Key Messages	p. 10
The Information Society	p. 11
Objectives	p. 11
Communication Technologies and Information Today	p. 11
Origins of the Term 'Information'	p. 12
Transformations	p. 12
Engagement(s)	p. 17
Unintended Consequences	p. 20
Implications for Practice	p. 22
Chapter Summary	p. 22
Key Messages	p. 24
Systems-thinking	p. 25
Objectives	p. 25
By Way of Introduction	p. 25
Rationalism and the Loss of the 'Soul'	p. 27
General Systems Theory (GST)	p. 27
GST Taken Forward	p. 31
Systems of Enquiry	p. 39
Challenges to Systems-thinking	p. 41
Chapter Summary	p. 42
Key Messages	p. 43
Applied Systems-thinking	p. 44
Introduction	p. 44
Objectives	p. 45
Transformations via Systems Methodology Use	p. 45
Supporting Transformations: Strategic Assumption Surface Testing (SAST)	p. 46
Re-designing Transformations: Interactive Planning (IP)	p. 49
Engaging with Transformations: Soft Systems Methodology (SSM)	p. 52
Assumptions of Systems Methodologies	p. 55
Dealing with the Unintended: Critical Systems-thinking	p. 56
Critical Systems Heuristics (CSH)	p. 57
Boundary Critique and Marginalization	p. 59
Chapter Summary	p. 61
Key Messages	p. 62
The Idealist Pattern for Practice in the Information Society	p. 64
Introduction	p. 64
Objectives	p. 65
Patterns	p. 65
Three Recurrent Ways of Thinking About the Information Society	p. 66
The Idealist Pattern of Practice	p. 67
Systems Practice in the Idealist Pattern	p. 70
Reflections from Practice	p. 81
Chapter Summary	p. 83
Key Messages	p. 83
The Strategic Pattern for Practice in the Information Society	p. 84
Introduction	p. 84
Objectives	p. 85
The Strategic Pattern	p. 85
Revisiting Engagement(s) in the Information Society	p. 86
Shaping up the Information Society: Groups and Their Concerns	p. 87
Boundaries	p. 89
Developing a Strategic Pattern	p. 90
Engaging People: Information Systems Planning at Javeriana University	p. 94
Reflections from Practice	p. 104
Chapter Summary	p. 107
Key Messages	p. 107
The Power-based Pattern for Practice in the Information Society	p. 109
Introduction	p. 109
Objectives	p. 110
From Practice to 'Who We Are'	p. 110
The Unintended Consequences in the Information Society Revisited	p. 111
A Power-based Pattern	p. 112
Foucault's Work	p. 114
The Power-based Pattern in Practice	p. 118
Ethical Awareness: Acting 'Ethically'	p. 122
Reflections from Practice	p. 125
Chapter Summary	p. 128
Key Messages	p. 128
A Dynamic Practice Framework for Living and Working in the Information Society	p. 130
Introduction	p. 130
Dealing with Temporality in the Information Society	p. 134
Chapter Summary	p. 140
Key Messages	p. 141
Conclusions	p. 142
The Idealist Pattern Revisited	p. 143
The Strategic Pattern Revisited	p. 145
The Power-based Pattern Revisited	p. 148
The Future: Educating-Practitioners	p. 149
Notes	p. 153
References	p. 157
Index	p. 160
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Systems Practice in the Information Society

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