Death of the user: Reconceptualizing subjects, objects, and their relations

Authors:
Ronald E. Day
Affiliations:
School of Library and Information Science, 1320 E. 10th St., LI 011, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405
Venue:
Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology
Year:
2011

Citing 0
Cited 2

Embodiment and desire in browsing online pornography

Proceedings of the 2012 iConference
Four levels of outcomes of information-seeking: A mixed methods study in primary health care

Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology

Quantified Score

Hi-index	0.00

Visualization

Abstract

The article explains why the concept of the user in Library and Information Science (LIS) user studies and information seeking behavior is theoretically inadequate and it proposes a reconceptualization of subjects, objects, and their relations according to a model of ‘double mediation.’ Formal causation (affordances) is suggested as a substitute for mechanistic causation. The notion of ‘affective causation’ is introduced. The works of several psychoanalysts and continental and Anglo‐American philosophers are used as tools to develop the model. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.