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How does the Internet affect everyday life
– at work, in the community, and among family members?
What are the social impacts of the "glocalization"
(globalization + localization) that comes with wired living?
What is the nature of reciprocity and social support in
an era of "networked individualism”?
NetLab is a scholarly network interested
in computer networks, communication networks, and social
networks. These scholars are linked to the Centre for Urban
and Community Studies, the Department of Sociology, the
Knowledge Media Design Institute, and the Faculty of Information
Studies. Their overarching interest is in how the Internet
affects everyday life: at work, in the community, and among
family members.
NetLab scholars are studying:
How loosely-coupled organizations use
computer-mediated communication as virtual workgroups.
How social networks affect the productivity
of scholars (authorship and citation).
The ties of white-collar teleworkers
with office colleagues and family members.
The kind of life online and offline led
by the residents of "Netville": a leading-edge
wired suburb of Toronto.
The ‘glocalization’ (globalization
+ localization) that comes with wired living via advanced
connections to the Internet and other online services.
The relation of internet use to social
capital and skills.
International comparisons of Internet
use.
How members of complex, networked organizations
discover, access and manage knowledge.
The "double digital divide":
Does the lack of mentoring and institutional supports in
low-income, segregated areas exacerbate poor people's, women's
and minorities' lack of access to computers and the internet?
The interplay between the use of computers,
telephones, pagers and faxes.
The nature of reciprocity and social
support in an era of "networked individualism".
How multilevel analysis can illuminate
the delivery of social support and address theoretical issues
of "agency" and "emergent properties".
Barry Wellman (head), Dean Behrens, Eric
Fong, and Janet Salaff are active faculty participants in
NetLab. Current student participants include Jeffrey Boase,
Wenhong Chen, Dimitrina Dimitrova, Melissa Kew, Kristine
Klement, Emmanuel Koku, Nancy Nazer, Anabel Quan, and Rima
Wilkes. Participants from other organizations include Robert
Cross, Kenneth Frank, Thomas Gray, Keith Hampton, and Caroline
Haythornthwaite.
Support for research comes from Bell University
Laboratories, Communications and Information Technology
Ontario, IBM Institute for Knowledge Management, Mitel Networks,
National Geographic Society, (U.S.) National Science Foundation,
Office of Learning Technologies (HRDC), and the Social Science
and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
For further information:
Barry Wellman, tel
416-978-3930
455 Spadina Avenue, Room 418
wellman@chass.utoronto.ca
http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman
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