System, stabilitet och makt - informationsdiskursen i Organizing Knowledge
InformationssystemKunskapsorganisation informationsåtervinningDiskursanalysDiskursSocial sciencesSamhällsvetenskaperSocial Sciences
TitleSystems, Stability and Power. The Discourse of Information in Organizing Knowledge.AbstractThe aim of this Master's thesis is to inquire into the consequences of an unequal distribution of power between information discourses in the field of knowledge organisation. A deconstruction of Jennifer Rowley's and John Farrows introductory textbook Organizing Knowledge from 2000 is related to the major discourses of information in LIS. Questions posed in this study are: What meaning is ascribed to information in the material studied? Which information discourses are given a dominant position? Which are excluded? and: How does this affect the construction of the library and information science student's identity, in relation to practices of knowledge organisation? The theoretical framework is provided by Ernesto Laclau's and Chantal Mouffe's theory of discourse and combined with techniques for text analysis originating from the work of Norman Fairclough.The analysis reveals a strong domination of a cognitive discourse of information that underlines the importance of information systems for the organisation of knowledge. An examination of the ontological and epistemological assumptions of this discourse discloses an overarching desire to provide for a clarity in communication between the individual and the system. This implies that the library and information scientist has to be bestowed with an expert identity which is placed in sharp contrast to the identity of the user. The expert creates the system which mirrors the stable structure of reality, and helps the user to create an adequate mental model of this system, in order to ensure efficient information retrieval. The possibility of contingent structures therefore poses a threat to this order of power.The consequences of the discourse and it's inherent distribution of power are discussed in terms of which system properties are considered important, and who has the power to create and influence the systems.