Conceptualizing the self: A critical analysis of the self as a discursive trend in human–computer interaction research
Åhman, H. (2017). Conceptualizing the self: A critical analysis of the self as a discursive trend in human–computer interaction research. Human Technology, 13 (2), 149-179. doi:10.17011/ht/urn.201711104210
Julkaistu sarjassa
Human TechnologyTekijät
Päivämäärä
2017Tekijänoikeudet
© the Authors & the Agora Center, University of Jyväskylä, 2017. This is an open access article distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
In human–computer interaction (HCI), the human often has been conceptualized
as a user. Although this notion has illuminated one aspect of the human–technology
relationship, some researchers have argued for the need to explore alternative notions.
One such notion becoming increasingly frequent in HCI is the self. In this paper, a study of
how the self is described in 88 HCI research publications is presented. Four main aspects
of the self are identified: instrumental, communicative, emotional, and playful. These four
aspects differ, yet they present the self as stable, coherent, and individual. However, these
characteristics have been criticized by several contemporary philosophers. This paper
presents arguments from poststructuralist writers as a foundation for advocating the need
to develop further these positions within HCI. The theories of Mark C. Taylor, who
combines poststructuralism with complexity theory, provide a framework for viewing the
self as relational to the extent that interaction becomes an existential process and thus
interactive technology constitutes an existential arena.
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