Theorizing about Democracy

Theorizing about software development practices

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t The paper focuses on the challenge of generating theoretical support for software development, especially when human software developers are involved in the software development process. We outline a model, " Coat Hanger " , for theorizing about development practices. The model focuses on the intended rationale for the actual realization and resulting impac...

Theorizing about Group Support Systems

Theory is critical to science. Group Support Systems (GSS), as a field of scientific inquiry is no exception. The important issue about theory in GSS is then not why theory, but where should theory come from (or how should theory be developed) and how to assess it (or evaluate its usefulness). This paper expounds on these issues by considering various approaches to theorizing about GSS, and del...

Anxiety about Democracy: Why Now?

Anxiety is rising among mass publics and analysts of governance about whether democratic governments can cope with the policy problems now facing them (Schäfer and Streeck 2013; Berggruen and Gardels 2013). Trust in American government is at a low ebb and more than two thirds of voters in many parts of Europe express dissatisfaction with their country’s direction (Pew 2012a; 2012b). Why is ther...

Beyond Sociomaterial: An Alternative Approach to Theorizing About Digital Artifacts

Information Systems researchers often study artifacts in light of their purpose, use, and effects. Their research is often conducted relying on a socio-technical or sociomaterial based ontology. For these realism-based approaches, ever-present security vulnerabilities, conflate the properties of the digital artifact making it impossible to conceive of a universal artifact. This paper explores h...

Deficits and Institutional Theorizing About Households and the State