Digital Photography as a Computerization Movement Communication regimes and social change Eric T. Meyer, M.A. Ph.D. student School of Library & Information Science Indiana University, Bloomington September 18, SLIS Doctoral Student Research Forum

Communication Regimes  Information Science  2004: Kling, Spector & Fortuna  Science & Technology Studies  1995: Hilgartner

Regimes  Philosophy  1972: Foucault (Regimes of Truth)  Political Science  1975/1982: Krasner / Keohane / Nye (International Regime Theory)

Regime Theory  “Regimes can be defined as sets of implicit or explicit principles, norms, rules, and decision-making procedures around which actors’ expectations converge” Krasner, 1982

Regime Theory (continued)  Principles: beliefs of fact, causation, and rectitude  Norms: standards for behavior defined in terms of rights and obligations  Rules: specific prescriptions or proscriptions for action  Decision-making procedures: prevailing practices for making and implementing collective choice Krasner, 1982

Communication Regime Defined A communication regime is… 1.…a loosely coupled social network in which the communication and the work system are highly coupled.

Communication Regime Defined (cont.) A communication regime is… 2.…a system with a set of implicit or explicit principles, norms, rules, and decision-making procedures around which actors’ expectations converge.

Communication Regime Defined (cont.) A communication regime is… 3.…a system in which the types of communication are tightly coupled to the production system in which they are embedded.

Communication Regime Defined (cont.) A communication regime is… 4.…a system with institutions that help to support and to regulate the regime.

Communication Regime Defined (cont.) A communication regime is… 5.…a system within which there are conflicts over control, over who enforces standards, over who bears the costs of change and who reaps the benefits of change.

Next steps  Communication regimes as organizing framework for dissertation  Theories:  SCOT: Social Construction of Technology  ANT: Actor-Network Theory  STIN methodology: Socio-Technical Interaction Networks  CMs: Computerization movements

References Foucault, M. (1984). Foucault Reader (Rabinow, P., ed.). New York: Pantheon Books. Hilgartner, S. (1995). Biomolecular Databases: New Communication Regimes for Biology? Science Communication, 17(2), Kling, R., Spector, L., & Fortuna, J. (2004). The Real Stakes of Virtual Publishing: The Transformation of E-Biomed Into PubMed Central. Journal of the American Society of Information Science & Technology, 55(2), Krasner, S. D. (1982). Structural causes and regime consequences: regimes as intervening variables. International Organization, 36(2),

Contact information Eric T. Meyer, M.A. Ph.D. Student School of Library & Information Science Indiana University, Bloomington Web: