Social Informatics
“Social Informatics” is that part of the broader field of Informatics that focuses on the way cultural and social factors interact with technology. While interested in researching how technologies change societies and communities, scholars in Social Informatics also want to know how the social and cultural shape technologies, from the beginning of their design through their implementation and on-going use. Social Informatics places people and organizations at the center of technological practice and illustrates how they are essential to the design, construction and use of information technology systems. Improved abilities to recognize and study the social aspects of information technology and use this knowledge to make systems work better are especially important for those starting careers as Informatics professionals.
Ph.D. education in Social Informatics draws on multiple theories and methods. From Computer Science, it builds on the work of those who have insisted in keeping socio-cultural factors and issues at the center of their practice rather than marginalizing them. It draws from the social sciences and the humanities to focus on how technology and society co-construct each other, especially from the interdisciplinary field of science and technology studies (STS). This work is central to understanding the social, cultural, ethical, and legal aspects of computing.
The Social Informatics Ph.D. track is a unique educational program. It teaches students how to study the human dimensions of information technology and the value of this approach. It does this while providing rich opportunities for students to achieve the level of technical competence needed to work and communicate in a high-tech world. Students may choose to acquire technical mastery in other fields within the School of Informatics and Computing, such as complex systems, bioinformatics, human-computer interaction, data visualization, music informatics, or security. They also may choose to take advantage of other curricula in the university, such as those in the School of Library and Information Science and the Department of Telecommunications.
This powerful integration of theory, reflective practice, and technical knowledge gives students the skills to produce pioneering scholarship on information technology that crosses disciplinary boundaries. It also prepares them to contribute effectively to the design, implementation, and use of new technologies.
