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As a disclaimer: I am not 100% familiar with the ANT jargon, so please excuse any inaccuracies in that regard!
I am wondering whether there is a conclusive way to differentiate between an actor or actant and the "network" that gives ANT part of its name. In "Reassembling the Social", Latour supposedly answers this question on pp. 128-133, but his deliberations remain somewhat impalpable to me.
First he establishes that he doesn't mean material networks, such as pipelines, railways, cables, etc. (no "thing out there" (p. 129)). He then seems to suggest that the network is composed of the traces that are left by the flows of translation. A translation, in turn he describes on p. 108 as "a relation that induces two mediators into coexisting". So networks are the traces left by relations of translation. But what is a relation? How is it possible to trace them, when they are not materially "out there"?
When I try to to imagine a concrete answer to these question, I always end up with objects. Taking Latour's laboratory as an example, there is a translation of observations into scientific facts. But what are these translation other than the array of things (amoeba, microscope, recording devices, etc.) that are assembled in this laboratory? Is there anything "in-between" things? Something - dare I say - social? That seems to be the contrary to what ANT seems to be all about. However, if there is a quality to the notion of translation that cannot be reduced to the assembled actors, then why do we need the term "network" at all? And - to come back to my original question - how can we tell the network apart from the actors?
I hope my question makes sense! Please help me find where I'm misunderstanding Latour!
Thanks!
/Theo
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In Actor-Network Theory (ANT), the actor and the network are not differentiated. Instead, they are considered as a heterogeneous amalgamation of textual, conceptual, social, and technical actors.
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I've been interested in the role that intensity thresholds play in sustaining and altering interactions within systems, networks and assemblages. Any ideas and reading suggestions regarding theory and research would be helpful. Thanks in advance
Tom
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I wish you success, progress and tender in the paths of science and knowledge, looking forward to following the answer for you excellent question .
warm regards,
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Can someone provide me with the R code for Network Analysis where I can establish the relationships among the variables using the underlying concepts of SNA using the data from Social Media. I have been going through the codes on Stackflow and GitHub but the machine time and processing time is very high when working on data extracted from Social Media.
Your help will be acknowledged by mentioning your name in the published manuscript on this work.
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That means, you "just" want to compute nodes' centrality and relate that to some other node-level characteristics? Density is a network-level concept, so I don't know what you want to do with that in this context.
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I have just completed my PhD thesis - Adapting Photovoice to Visualise and Influence Environmental Behaviour across Australia, Bangladesh, and China (Monash University - Design), exploring using photovoice methods across multiple geographic sites to facilitate dialog between and amongst these communities using various participatory techniques, specifically with innovation in audience engagement.
The journey has taken me across 17 discrete participatory-action-research cycles
spanning 4 years, where I partnered with 19 local organisations to run 80 workshops, 8 community exhibitions, and 3 community interview events across 4 separate sites spanning Australia, Bangladesh, and China. Over 700 participants attended workshops and collectively created over 500 photo-stories. I focussed on environmental behaviour, but these methods - like photovoice generally - are applicable to a wide range of themes.
Now I have finally emerged from the tunnel of my PhD, I am looking for future opportunities to use these learnings in other projects and connect with like-minded peers.
Thus I am interested to see who else / what other current and future projects are working on similar methodological adaptations in photovoice or related visual methods?
I have attached the full thesis text here if it is useful to others. I am also happy to receive feedback.
thanks and all the best,
Michael Chew
Monash University
Melbourne, Australia
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This is really interesting. I do photovoice research with non-binary young adults. I am currently preparing a study that will have small groups in various locations. Small groups will regularly connect with and report back to the larger collective group. We hope that this allows us to explore region specific issues, along with more broad ones. I'm definitely going to dig into your work!
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I'm trying to understand permaculture using the lens of Actor Network Theory. Findings of my study in the Philippines have shown that permaculture is a growing social network, a network of heterogenous and biodiverse farm landscapes, and a perspective or paradigm for sustainable living. People, resources, design ideas, worldviews are shared in this network and these manifest on the biophysical and socio-cultural landscapes as farm/garden projects and community initiatives. Any thoughts about this? Thank you.
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I would say it is important to first situate the term "permaculture" with a thorough sociology of the sciences approach. To what extent is this term employed explicitly by local actors and not just academics/exterior intellectuals and what relation do these actors have with others in the region. It seems to me that permaculture is first and foremost a social concept, with a specific intellectual genealogy, that needs to be examined as such before being inserted in a non-human network analysis.
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So called actantial model is a formulation of narrative structures developed by Lithuanian linguist Algirdas Julius (Julien) Greimas ( 1917 – 1992) which belongs to the Generative Trajectory Model of Meaning.
I would like to hear from you, what kind of applications of actantial model (or related devices) you have encountered and how you have been utilizing them.
I have applied the actantial model when studying knowledge use issues around bachelor theses at the Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences.
Regads,
Juha
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I have been using this model for literary criticism of plays where conflict occurs as a result of two groups in opposition. Here, I examine the classical and the romantic in plays produced in romantic period in Germany and France. In fact, this model was specifically applied in my doctoral thesis where I applied it to depict romantic traits in Victor Hugo's Hernani and Wolfgang Goethe's Faust. A paper is about to be published on this. I shall upload it as soon as it is published.
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What authors (and respective books/articles) do you recommend to develop a state-of-the-art analytical framework on sustainable development, human development, governance, multilevel governance, sustainable development governance, and actor-network theory?
Thank you very much for your help.
Kind regards,
José Ricardo Martins
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So, some questions I've had as I reflect on ANT.
What are people's thoughts on the permanency, portability, permeability and polymorphism of actors, networks, artifacts (etc) in ANT?
Are the boundaries between networks discernible? How? Are we able to discern the interaction between networks as boundary interactions that result in actor behaviour and interaction?
Do networks, which are emergent or unstable/ephemeral or transnational exist in a state where a boundary or a boundary interaction can be observed?
If a network is determined by the interaction of one or more actors does the network not exist until the interaction? Or is there the potential of a network by virtue of an artifact or is that network extant but in a non-interacting (null?) state?
Okay, that's a start.
Thoughts?
B
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Very interesting questions! Two references come immediately to my mind: the first is Marilyn Strathern's "Cutting the Network" (https://www.jstor.org/stable/3034901?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents), which addresses the limits of networks both as objects and as analytical concepts. The other is John Law and his colleagues' paper "Modes of Syncretism" ( ), which offers a couple of tools to examine how various actor-networks may relate to each other.
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Student actors spend much of their training regardless of methodological practice exploring emotion and how to create it, however, is it actually necessary? If they don't 'feel it' but 'fake it' instead and yet the audience is none the wiser, does it matter? From an artistic viewpoint as actor/artist perhaps, but in reality who actually cares? If an actor can't find the real emotion what do they do? Fake it? Why then are they not trained in faking it too? Should we be training actors to be mimics?
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Student actors spend much of their training regardless of methodological practice exploring emotion and how to create it, however, is it actually necessary? If they don't 'feel it' but 'fake it' instead and yet the audience is none the wiser, does it matter? From an artistic viewpoint as actor/artist perhaps, but in reality who actually cares? If an actor can't find the real emotion what do they do? Fake it? Why then are they not trained in faking it too? Should we be training actors to be mimics?
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Dear researchers,
I intend to investigate the entrepreneurship emergence deploying an actor-network theory theoretical framework.
Do you recommend relying on ANT to research entrepreneurship-related phenomena?
If yes, would you suggest a suitable theoretical framework, if available?
Thank you very much in advance for you cooperation and support!
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According to Latour, Actor-Network Theory is not a theoritical framework. It is an epistemological approach that avoids falling into the trap of analyses that draw their veracity from theoretical frameworks established a priori. I recommend you to read the dialogue between a university professor and a doctoral student told by Latour in his book ( Changer de société, refaire de la sociologie – Bruno LATOUR)
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I am studying the architectural icons and their relationships with the built environment and users, from the perspective of the Actor-Network Theory, in addition to using established authors of Architecture such as Charles Jencks, Zaida Muxí and Josep Maria Montaner. I would like to hear from colleagues their personal opinions about what an icon is and how it arouses people's interest.
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We could look at icons from two very different perspectives: social and personal (many other in-between scales could also be taken into account).
Regarding the former, when we talk about architectural icons, comes to mind landmark or famous buildings. They are supposed to be known by many people, otherwise they wouldn't function as landmarks. People use them as a base or referring point to find and address other places in cities, rural, natural or other environments. For any reasons many people know them. People agree that they are important for some reasons (size, social, economic, historical importance, etc.)
When it comes to the personal perspective, icons might be totally different. They might be hidden. They might be signs in individuals' minds. They might be secret images or sounds or smells or etc. that one remembers as the symbols or benchmarks when s/he thinks about or imagines an environment. Maybe they talk about them; maybe they don't.
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I am interested in combining quite paradoxical aproaches at first glance. I am close to flat ontology in the style of actor-network theory and at the same time I am attached to classica, modern left-wing politics. Usually the followers of ANT are to some extent anti-modern or a-modern. Sometimes there is only a weak position, which simply cannot bear the Enlightenment promise contained in the 20th century social sciences. But sometimes reading Deleuze, Latour and others leads to purely reactionary attitudes in the style of Dark Enlightment.
On the other hand, supporters of Enlightenment praising and hoping its return in some new reflexive form are often naive ontologically, and fall into old-fashioned scientism or antitechnical dogma in the style of the Frankfurt school.
In my book "Ontological Imagination" I tried to show how to be a supporter of Enlightenment/Modernity and a without losing the Baroque ontology of Latour, Law or Deleuze.
I'm curious if anyone goes in a similar direction?
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Thanks you Andrzej
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I had argued with my supervisor last week. I intend to refer the 《 New Production of Knowledge》 and Concept of mode 2 to be the background of transdisciplinary research in Taiwanese new institution.
My opinion is that"Kuhnian science study is too much internal discussion in Physics(or natural science)" and Latour's ANT is too much deconstruction(Anything can be part of programme in science action) I used Mode 2 to harmonize the Kuhnian and Latour, for building a contemporary science study(science with transdisciplinarity and accountability).
My supervisor response with that "Latour's ANT could deal with any programme that you want through adjust the scale of your method and object. Why you insist to adopt conecpt of Mode 2"
According my supervisor's idea, Mode 2 can be a subsystem of Latour's ANT. I don't agree with him but haven't a good point to response. Maybe my reading is too less to hold my position.
Can two concepts put in one category to compare?
Thank you if you read my question.
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Thank you, Dr. Jochen Glaser
Your explanation is very helpful and patient.
I agree wtih you and Dr. Peter Weingart. The five characteristics which define the difference between Mode 2 and Mode 1 are not innovative. In addition, there are not many empirical analysis to point out that Mode 2 would replace Mode 1. But in Helga Nowotny, Peter Scott and Michael Gibbons(2003), their purpose was as much to address the need to invent a new language of research. That's why both 《The New Production of Knowledge》 and 《Re-Thinking Science》 were written as reflective essays rather than as empirical studies. So I have tried to view every single research in action with frame of Mode 2 and Mode 1. (Actually I still adopt Latour's spirit to do my research, His ANT method is attractive to a naive graduated student like me.)
In my research context, I try to give an answer to avoid the flaw in 5 methods of Alvin Goldman's " Expert: Which Ones Should You Trust?"(Goldman. 2001). Also, I wish that my research can do pre-work for Harry Collins's "The Third Wave of Science Studies".
If the Department of Science and technology( in Taiwan context) could analysis every single research with 5 characteristics(Context of application, heterogenous, transdiciplinary, accountability, quality control) and make the analysis public. When scientific or technological controversy shows up, policymaker or laypeople would easier to put their credence on experts and empower people to question experts.
Respectfully, thank you again.
Goldman. Alvin. (2001). Experts: Which Ones Should You: Philosophy and Phenomenological Research: 85-110.
Harry Collins, Robert Evans. (2007). Rethinking Expertise: The University of Chicago Press.
Helga Nowotny, Peter Scott and Michael Gibbons. (2003). Introduction: `Mode 2' Revisited: The New Production of Knowledge. Minerva: 179–194.
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I would like to speak to anyone (on this forum, by email, phone, in person etc.) about the practicalities of doing a research project using ANT. I am considering starting a pilot over the summer and would appreciate getting some tips and insights from experienced ANT practitioners.
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Wonderful contribution from the other side of the ditch
David (In Melbourne)
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Dear All,
I conduct research on Maker Network and collect qualitative data through semi-structured interviews with the lens of Actor-Network Theory. I would like to do mapping of actants, their relations, motivations and change of their becoming. I do not prefer to use surveys and gain statictical or quantiative data for the reason of the approach. Is there any suggestion of analysing and mapping tool, to reflect visual model of this network?
Thanks in advance,
Özgün
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Thanks for all. I will check the softwares for qda to visualize the model and see how ucinet works.
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Do you know of any authors who discuss the compatibility of action research (AR) and actor-network-theory (ANT)?
In my specific case I plan to do my PhD field research in a series of participatory planning initiatives, where I will actively promote and propose the use of digital tools during the participatory activities (hence, the AR approach).
My preliminary review of the literature shows certain similarities between AR and ANT, mainly due to the importance given to the knowledge of the people being studied. While AR scholars should adapt their research plans to the needs, priorities and understanding of the community; ANT researchers should "follow the actors" to avoid using foggy explanations (such as social context, cultural aspects, etc.).
I am concerned, however, about my own positionality: can I use ANT to guide my analysis and approach if I am an actant with his own goals and motivations? Namely I hope that participants will be willing to experiment with the digital tools I propose, otherwise my research would be (partly) a failure.
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Research and Actor Network Theory
Please let me know if the following references/sites are helpful to you:
1. Development Studies Research and Actor-Network Theory - ANT4D hummedia.manchester.ac.uk/institutes/cdi/resources/cdi.../ANT4DPaper1Heeks.pdf
by R HEEKS - ‎Cited by 2 - ‎Related articles
concepts of actor-network theory to issues and cases within international development. Paper No. 1. Development Studies. Research and Actor-Network. Theory. 2. Actor-Network Theory Research - Research Explorer
May 28, 2016 - https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/actor-network-theory-research/ ... Actor Network Theory has grown into one of the most innovative and ... 3. Using actor-network theory to understand inter-
by D Hu - ‎2011 - ‎Cited by 2 - ‎
To regard this study as an inceptive try for applying actor-network theory in
4. Inter-organizational strategic information systems planning, actor-network theory, ..... of universities, Pirre, 2008.
Dennis
Dennis Mazur
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One Belt One Route initiative has its own well defined objectives that induces participating countries to plan according to this initiative and unify their policies and procedure. How can national interests of participating countries be aligned. Do you recommend using  Actor Network Theory?
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Hi Ralph. In this absence of common policy framework between countries the real objective of OBOR seems everything dominated by China. However by defining process aligning national interests of one participating countries in a way that could achieve some common objective would be an interesting research idea. I have few case studies from Pakistan and I want to make sense of this initiative by applying ANT. I would appreciate your guidance in this regard. You may also contact me at waqas19@qq.com if you are interested in sharing our learning experience. 
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Im looking more into realised research using those two,especially to construct a framework connecting organisational impacts with social/community impacts..
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It would be best to begin with activity and network theories in genera,l to which activity network theory moves in a more focused context. Carl Butts article in Science Vol 325, No. 5939, pp 414-416 (2009) looks at foundations of network analysis and Tom Brughmans article in Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory Col 20 (2013); Yrjo Engestrom ( one of the leaders in developing activity theory) has written extensively on the subject --see Ergonomics 43, No 7 (2000) and Journal of Education and Work Vol 14, No 1 (2001) for a good bibliography of his work extending back into the 1980s.
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I am using ANT approach to study a local community and am proposing interviews and participant observation to identify network elements and associations etc., My concern relates to the influence I may end up having on the network under study.
In what ways can the analyst mitigate his/her/their influence whilst engaging with the network elements?
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Dear Ali, 
Rather than a framework, as suggested by previous commentator, ANT theorist proposed a different ontology of the social, one that does not preassume the relevance of any given relationship nor the type of agent performing them. Therefore the social flows through the association of different agents (actants) that are constantly recreating the world in novel associations. And here is when the role of the researcher is so (politcally) relevant. The researcher is another agent that through his/her description contributes to fix (temporarily) a studied network. "The social" in this case IS the network and is extended as far as the researcher can trace it. This does not mean that "the social" is limites to the researcher role and capacities to describe a given reality, but it does recognize the limititations of the social sciences to re-enact and represent all aspects of life. Nothing better to humourously understand the role of the researcher in ANT than Latour fabule-chapter "On the Difficulty of Being an ANT: An Interlude in
the Form of a Dialog" that you can find in his book Reassembling the Social.
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My research seeks to explore the barriers and enablers that exist with regards to children’s informal everyday participation within a school context. I want to use Laura Lundy’s (2007) Model of Participation as a tool to determine if participation has or has not been achieved/facilitated. This model holds that for participation to occur four elements must be present; space, voice, audience and influence. I am planning to use actor-network theory to examine the networks that generate or impede the effect ‘participation’. My question is this; given that actor-network theory should begin without any pre-existing assumptions would it be wrong of me to begin by using ANT to explore each of Lundy’s four pillars, thus making the assumption that the existence of these components results in participation, or should I begin with the actor-network ‘participation’ itself and from there identify actors/connections that could at a later stage be discussed in relation to Lundy’s model? 
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Here are some thoughts on this question. As I understand it, actors are nothing but effects of networks. As Law puts it in ANT and Material Semiotics (2007): “Actor-network theory is a disparate family of material-semiotic tools, sensibilities and methods of analysis that treat everything in the social and natural worlds as a continuously generated effect of the webs of relations within which they are located. It assumes that nothing has reality or form outside the enactment of those relations. Its studies explore and characterise the webs and the practices that carry them. Like other material-semiotic approaches, the actor-network approach thus describes the enactment of materially and discursively heterogeneous relations that produce and reshuffle all kinds of actors including objects, subjects, human beings, machines, animals, ‘nature’, ideas, organisations, inequalities, scale and sizes, and geographical arrangements”.
I see no reason why we cannot add “participation” to the list above. Like the other items on the list, "participation" is nothing but  the effect of the webs of relations within which it is located. To me, the crucial point is if it is made to represent this network and its effects. If it is not, it is difficult to speak of it as an actor. Wihtin political discourse, at least, I would say that "participation" does represent a network (all those entities and relations that make up participation) and it does have an effect (it provides democratic legitimacy, for example).
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This is meant to be like a poll. I would like to hear those who are specialists in education field in general and learning theory in specific. In your opinion, what are the most influential scientific papers in learning theory and why? 
It is good to know if educators have consensus on a set of papers in the first place but why those papers not others is not less important. Please indicate why you choose these papers.
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Hi! 
Good question! I interpret it as searching for a paper written after the year 2000? ("21st century"?) Many papers mentioned here in the discussion are surely important for us today, but written in the 20th century.
With this limitation, I would like to suggest George Siemens "Connectivism and connective knowledge"  http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm , not because it it yet so influential, or "right" or fully developed (it isn't) but because it takes very seriously the task of thinking of reconsidering what learning is or should be in an age of information flow and rapid development of knowledge, without falling in a trap of digitalisation of learning content, "e-learning" as something completely revolutionary per se. 
Without being related, the information philosopher Luciano Floridi has similar freshness and approach in taking ICTs seriously, but is very much more radical, he aims at reconstructing philosophy "of our age, gor our age". Learning is important, but used as an area of examples so far. But you can read his "E-ducation and the languages of information" to get an idea of his approach. In learning theory he is a kind of constructionist, like Seymour Papert.
I hope these papers provokes you!
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I'm in a good old methodological dilemma stage of my 1st year Ph.D. work. Interaction between members of the clinical team are complex, and I thought this combination of methodologies were mutually compatible for a exploratory piece of work.
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I know nothing about Actor Network Theory beyond scanning WIkipedia, but I do know a lot about systems thinking, having published four books on the subject.  I would support the other comments that what constitutes 'systems thinking' is a much disputed and muddled concept.  It also looks like Actor Network Theory shares similar dynamics.  In which case linking the two could be similar to nailing jello to jello with string.  So what I'd need to know is what you understand by 'systems thinking' (and in my book it's a heck of a lot more than just being aware of inter-relationships).  But perhaps more importantly would be to understand much more about what it is you are actually trying to do.
Feel free to contact me by email - bob@bobwilliams.co.nz
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I am familiar with Actor-Network Theory , i applied ANT as tool to construct network collaboration, whereas  i want to use ANT with data quality as metric to choose actor network .
Thank you in advance
Salim
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Hi Mohammed
I have a small list of ANT papers which might be interesting for you. I also pulled out a much shorted list of those which address quality issues. I hope that helps.
Regards
Bob
enc
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I am looking to use ANT for social research (tourism) and was wondering if ANT can co-exist with for example social network theory or whether when using ANT it must be stand alone? I know there is principles for want of a better word in ANT (General Symmetry) etc - do these make using ANT a one stop shop? Im looking at the role that networks play in experience creation
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I thoroughly recommend Mützel, S (2009), 'Networks as Culturally Constituted Processes: A Comparison of Relational Sociology and Actor-Network Theory', Current Sociology, vol. 57, no. 6, November 1, 2009, pp. 871-887.
and on the question of  " is ANT a theory? " i find myself shifting on this issue frequently.  To make up your own mind, I refer you to Anne-Marie Mol (2010) who proposes we can conceive of ANT as a theory, where a ‘theory’ is:
"something that helps scholars to attune to the world […] If ANT is a theory, then a theory is a repository of terms and modes of engaging with the world […]  If ANT is a theory, then a theory helps to tell cases, draw contrasts, articulate silent layers, turn questions upside down, focus on the unexpected, add to one’s sensitivities, propose new terms, and shift stories from one context to another."  (Mol 2010, p. 262)
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Specifically I'm interested how to use ANT in governance of information system, i want also to use ANT with quality data?
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Hi There
It has a huge list of IS Models/Theories in alphabetical order and Actor-Network is there. Click on Actor-Network Theory and scroll down to where is says "IS articles that use the theory" .... there are plenty and some are very recent. Enjoy and Good-luck.
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Specifically I'm interested in the associations between gender, profession, and professional work products. 
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Directly an answer to your question:
- "Imagining a Feminist Actor-Network Theory", Andrea Quinla, 2012 (you will find it attached at my answer)
And these ones also are interesting:
- "Men on board: Actor-network theory, feminism and gendering the past", Lawrence T. Corrigan and Albert J. Mills, 2012
- "Reassembling gender: Actor-network theory (ANT) and the making of the technology in gender", Lagesen, V. A., 2012
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Several years ago, I ran a debate with one of my professors at Education Department about human working memory. He insisted that technology has ruined human memory; many people rely more and more on their mobiles and laptops instead of their own memories. He also presented some research evidence showing that.
At that time, it was hard for me to accept this idea. I argued that human is a clever being. If tools or technologies would help us to save our memories, then is it logical to kick these technologies out or even reduce our usage of them because they harm our memories? However, my opinion was not supported by a solid theory. Cognitivism and Constructivism clearly state that our inner memories are important in a learning process.
This debate has carved in my mind and the case was not closed, at least for me. Recently, we have investigated some of new learning theories. Among a long list, we visited Actor-Network Theory, Community of Practice, and Connectivism. And to be honest, I found Connectivism wide enough to answer my question and to build upon. Knowledge is a network and learning is a process of finding patterns reside in this network. Inside or outside human skull, it does not matter.
This is not to end the discussion; actually, it is to open it. Are you with or against of proposing new learning theory? Our understanding of knowledge network, learning and Connectivism presented in this paper.
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This article by George Siemens (2004) may interest you:
Connectivism: A learning Theory for digital Age
There is a more recent article by Terry Anderson and Jon Dron (2011).
The authors examine “The three generations of cognitive-behaviourist, social constructivist, and connectivist pedagogy are examined, using the familiar community of inquiry model (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000) with its focus on social, cognitive, and teaching presences” (Extracted from the abstract).
As stated by many responses that technology changes the pace and method of teaching, learning including our lifestyle and new laws need to be established in accordance to our digital environment. Winston and Edelbach (2011) theorize that the world is now experiencing a technological revolution. The authors state that the predecessor of the technological revolution was the industrial revolution, which followed the earlier agricultural revolution. The industrial and agricultural revolutions had longer lifespans than the technological revolution, in which new technologies have a shorter lifecycle and faster pace of change.
I believe that constructivism constructs knowledge in cognitive stages, and pragmatism builds knowledge on learners’ past experiences. Pragmatists may possess past relevant technological knowledge that may be useful to conduct research on the complexities of online learning. I argue that the learning paradigm shift follows the cycle of constructivism, social constructivism, and then pragmatism. The cycle will go back to social constructivism when a new demarcation point for learning process is integrated, which includes all the influential factors, such as technological tools.
Finally, I do agree that new learning theories should be proposed. You have posed an interesting discussion question. 
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Hi there I am considering using ANT theory for some research I am about to undertake, does it have to revolve around a particular project and event? And if so how recent does the project or event have to be to be relevant? I'm new to ANT and trying to grapple with the ins and outs!
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Hi Eilidh,
one of the best brief illustrations of ANT, that has worked for my students well, is John Law's talk "The Manager and His Powers". I like to recommend it because it illustrates well how to author an ANT account.
I must say that I perceive ANTish studies as mostly quite silent on methods, methodology and how their respective ANTish account has been assembled. For this reason, I allow myself to point you to a paper I authored that attempts to spell out some of the methods and methodological considerations in a study that was heavily inspired by ANT sensibilities (but was in no way a purist ANT attempt; rather, it was also engaging with grounded theorising and ethnomethodological takes): "Studying Reconfigurations of Discourse: Tracing the Stability and Materiality of ›Sustainability/Carbon‹" published in the Journal of Discourse Studies.
To your questions "does it have to revolve around a particular project and event? And if so how recent does the project or event have to be to be relevant?": A good ANT account is only possible by a careful study of particularities. In other words, you need to study something particular. Much of your work is about figuring out what the particularity is that you are studying or that you want to study. Latour et al would recommend "to follow the actor", i.e. map the precise practical and material relations between particular humans and non-humans. So, if you study tourism (which is far too general to be studied easily), you might want to trace the precise actions and devices involved when you book a trip on the internet to a holiday destination. What entities are involved and how are they related?
ANT accounts are usually post-hoc accounts, that is, they are written after something particular occurred. How recent the event was does not so much matter as how well you can actually describe what happened. (On description, you might want to read Latour and Akrich's classic chapters in Shaping Technology/Building Society).
Hope this helps,
best,
Ingmar
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Transdisiciplinarity requires elements such as collective thinking, integration, collaboration, cooperation and participation of actors or scientists for knowledge generation and management that can solve real life and complex problems. What will be the ideal theory that this can be based on? Social capital theory? sociology of scientific knowledge? Actor network theory? Communication theory?
It might all be relevant to the study, but which can be the best fit.
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There are various approaches of social capital in sociology (Bourdieu, Coleman) or Political Science (Putnam): depending on its structure, Social Capital is not always a positive factor for collective action.Quantitative  Network analysis is a good tool to approach this as it is shared by various disciplines.
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I am not very familiar with Actor-Network Theory yet, but as far as I understand it is applied in STS, whereas Innovation studies use maybe more case-studies or so. I am doing a research on innovation in bioenergy diffusion in two regional case studies and I will study actors and networks that characterize the system and also (among other things) how this helps innovation in bioenergy diffusion.
Thank you in advance
Bianca
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ANT approaches are exceptionally relevant to innovation as so many great innovations come from the overlapping boundaries of different areas bringing different technologies together to create something unexpected and completely new. See:
The role of a single actor in technical innovation and network evolution: An historical analysis of the leather network
Michael Redwood
David Ford
Journal of Customer Behaviour 01/2012; 11(2). DOI: 10.1362/147539212X13420906144750
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Movement of innovative ideas into practice in a way to assure that they "work" is a general problem in many situations in organizations. For instance when strategies are "implemented", when new ideas (for instance concepts like BPR, LEAN etc.) are introduced or when scientific knowledge is moved from universities into new types of organizational and sociotechnical solutions, or is developed in inter-organizational arrangements of private and public organizations. It is also relevant when working with organizational change from a design perspective. We are a couple of researchers looking into micro-processes of the above mentioned types of change processes using actor-network and neo-scandinavian translation perspectives to do so. Should you have similar types of interests we would like to hear from your.
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Dear all
For your information: I am organizing a meeting for researchers doing research using the translation perspective at Roskilde University, Denmark, in december 2014. Invitation will be send out in june. Hope many of you will be able to participate.
Yours
John
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ANT is a principle theory for the science of actor-network, spreading almost every industry. So where is the cross between ANT and SME?
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Reassembling the Social, by Latour is a classical work
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I'm trying to develop a math model for ANT. However, I cannot find any literature for that. There are just few papers (one or two). It seems that the theory comes from Social Science side. Any suggestions?
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Thank you, folks.
These answers are very helpful for me to start a math model for ANT. Actually, I'm focusing not on the whole procedure of ANT but on the Translation of ANT. The 'Translation' process can be applied to the product development process in NPD 2.0 era.