Biblionews-participant-dana-walker - Revision history

Mediag at 12:16, 2 April 2011

2011-04-02T12:16:12Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:16, 2 April 2011
Line 15:		Line 15:


	That research has continued to frame my own dissertation work in which I use data collected from a multi-sited ethnographic study of online urban forums		That research has continued to frame my own dissertation work in which I use data collected from a multi-sited ethnographic study of online urban forums.

			[[Category:Bibliobooks-participants]]
	in the city of Philadelphia. In the dissertation I explore the nature of public talk as actually practiced in an online setting where content is produced		in the city of Philadelphia. In the dissertation I explore the nature of public talk as actually practiced in an online setting where content is produced
	by local citizens. The motivation behind the dissertation is to examine how and in what manner city residents use online forums to discuss matters of		by local citizens. The motivation behind the dissertation is to examine how and in what manner city residents use online forums to discuss matters of

Mediag at 12:15, 2 April 2011

2011-04-02T12:15:39Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:15, 2 April 2011
Line 13:		Line 13:
	how the everyday problem-based activities performed by citizen groups is fundamentally influenced by the way in which these groups seek out, interpret,		how the everyday problem-based activities performed by citizen groups is fundamentally influenced by the way in which these groups seek out, interpret,
	distill and reframe information.		distill and reframe information.


	That research has continued to frame my own dissertation work in which I use data collected from a multi-sited ethnographic study of online urban forums		That research has continued to frame my own dissertation work in which I use data collected from a multi-sited ethnographic study of online urban forums
Line 23:		Line 24:
	upon their own experiences and share observations: sifting through their own opinions and those of others, comparing experiences, forwarding ideas, and		upon their own experiences and share observations: sifting through their own opinions and those of others, comparing experiences, forwarding ideas, and
	pointing others to what they think is important, worth notice and at issue.		pointing others to what they think is important, worth notice and at issue.


	I see my research as having theoretical, methodological and pragmatic implications for the way we understand how new media technologies can be leveraged		I see my research as having theoretical, methodological and pragmatic implications for the way we understand how new media technologies can be leveraged
Line 32:		Line 34:


	I am particularly interested in how to better link the locations where ordinary citizens		I am particularly interested in how to better link the locations where ordinary citizens
	talk about their own communities to existing institutional structures?in particular information-focused organizations such as libraries and		talk about their own communities to existing institutional structures?in particular information-focused organizations such as libraries and
	citizen-focused media institutions. While I commend current work that organizes whole new locations for public talk, citizens are already talking about,		citizen-focused media institutions. While I commend current work that organizes whole new locations for public talk, citizens are already talking about,

Mediag: New page: Dana M. Walker
PhD Candidate, University of Michigan School of Information
walkerdm@umich.edu
M The themes of "Beyond Books" -- Democratic engagement, community information, a...

2011-04-02T12:15:06Z

New page: Dana M. Walker PhD Candidate, University of Michigan School of Information walkerdm@umich.edu M The themes of "Beyond Books" -- Democratic engagement, community information, a...

New page

Dana M. Walker 
PhD Candidate, University of Michigan School of Information 
walkerdm@umich.edu 
M

The themes of "Beyond Books" -- Democratic engagement, community
information, and citizen-focused information professionals -- all align well with my academic research and professional interests. As a doctoral student
at the University of Michigan?s School of Information, my research has focused on democratic practice, community information and new media. Early in my
graduate career I had the opportunity to work on an Institute for Museum and Library Service funded project which looked at how local residents provide,
use and make choices about information. In this particular study we focused on Hartford, Connecticut ? interviewing both the leaders of some of the
city?s primary community-led organizations and members of the Hartford Public Library community-focused staff. The goals of the research were twofold:
(1) to determine how information professionals, especially librarians, can better anticipate the civic information needs of local organizations, and (2)
how the everyday problem-based activities performed by citizen groups is fundamentally influenced by the way in which these groups seek out, interpret,
distill and reframe information.

That research has continued to frame my own dissertation work in which I use data collected from a multi-sited ethnographic study of online urban forums
in the city of Philadelphia. In the dissertation I explore the nature of public talk as actually practiced in an online setting where content is produced
by local citizens. The motivation behind the dissertation is to examine how and in what manner city residents use online forums to discuss matters of
public concern within the context of their everyday lives. As such, the project redirects questions away from political discussion for the purpose of
organized deliberation, mobilization, or education. Instead, I analyze the ways in which informal, online discourse operates at a moment in political
life in which everyday issues of urban living are articulated, contested, or brought into focus as public concerns. I call this networked public talk.
The term is meant to suggest an informal but publicly-oriented discussion that emerges through internet-enabled discussion spaces as participants reflect
upon their own experiences and share observations: sifting through their own opinions and those of others, comparing experiences, forwarding ideas, and
pointing others to what they think is important, worth notice and at issue.

I see my research as having theoretical, methodological and pragmatic implications for the way we understand how new media technologies can be leveraged
but also can inhibit democratic sense-making and community life. My work addresses a kind of emerging socio-technical literacy, that of civic literacy or
understanding, finding information about, and coming to understand civic issues. But my work is practical and empirically-grounded in that I focus
specifically on people?s everyday political lives: the locations in which people talk about their day-to-day concerns and needs. So instead of viewing
the internet, community information, or public discourse as utopian cures for all political problems, my interest is to investigate how new participatory
technologies are actually being used today and how the nature and design of the forums both support and constrain publicly-oriented talk.

I am particularly interested in how to better link the locations where ordinary citizens
talk about their own communities to existing institutional structures?in particular information-focused organizations such as libraries and
citizen-focused media institutions. While I commend current work that organizes whole new locations for public talk, citizens are already talking about,
sorting through, and trying to find information about their communities in all sorts of forums. I believe there are opportunities for information
professionals to link to, become embedded within, and actually augment these already existing sites of public talk. I have pursued this line of thinking
in two primary ways thus far. First, I was a fellow at the Kettering Foundation in Dayton, Ohio. The foundation looks at the relationship between public
discourse and decision-making in local communities and has been focused on research and practical efforts to provoke public deliberation. Second, I
continue to be involved in pragmatic efforts to connect civic organizations with public life and am currently serving as an advisory board member for the
American Library Association?s newly developed Center for Public Life which will train librarians to convene and moderate deliberative forums and frame
issues of local and national concern.

Biblionews-participant-dana-walker - Revision history

Mediag at 12:16, 2 April 2011

Mediag at 12:15, 2 April 2011

Mediag: New page: Dana M. Walker PhD Candidate, University of Michigan School of Information walkerdm@umich.edu M The themes of "Beyond Books" -- Democratic engagement, community information, a...

Mediag: New page: Dana M. Walker
PhD Candidate, University of Michigan School of Information
walkerdm@umich.edu
M The themes of "Beyond Books" -- Democratic engagement, community information, a...