Abstract
In this study, we focus on the relationship between Internet social networks and societal change by examining case studies of the impact of Internet-based campaigns in Iran. Ivan Illich's theory of ‘Conviviality of Tools’ enables an analysis of the conviviality of the Internet. Subsequently, this conceptual lens is used to examine empirical data from two Internet-based campaigns. The paper contributes theoretical and practical implications regarding conviviality of Internet social networks and the accomplishment of conviviality in society. Our findings show that Internet conviviality cannot be treated as an independent variable with deterministic outcomes on society, but as a technology that is shaped by ongoing economic and political forces. The Iranian Internet social networks are not universally accessible, frequently induce fragmented, nonsensical, and enraged discussion and its potential as a tool of liberation is tempered by the Iranian government adaption of systems of surveillance and censorship. We argue that the findings of this study have some general implications of value to researchers studying computerisation movements and Internet social networks in other countries.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
Hijab is the Arabic term meaning to cover. In the Islamic context, it is a religious requirement that obliges women to dress modestly and to cover everything except the face and hands.
The Shia faith is the second largest denomination of Islam. Shias believe that Ali, prophet Mohamed's son-in-law, was his rightful successor. Significantly, Shias also believe that the religious leader is also the political leader in the Islamic state.
Virtual ethnography is a contentious area (Hine, 2000; Ruhleder, 2000; Hunt and McHale, 2007; Garcia et al., 2009). The arguments centre on where the virtual ethnographer is located, the role and nature of technologically mediated communication and the special skills required in such communications including data protection (Garcia et al., 2009). In our case, the location of the subjects, the confidential nature of the topics discussed and the consequences of exposure meant we had no choice but to employ technology-mediated communication with our subjects. In all cases, the confidentiality of communications was maintained with the utmost care.
This is, coincidently, another example of conviviality.
To ensure the popularity of these weblogs Technorati was used. Technorati is a company that keeps track of weblogs on the Internet, providing some useful statistics for researchers.
Basij is a volunteer-based Iranian paramilitary force that was founded by Ayatollah Khomeini in November of 1979.
Zeitoon (Olive) is the interviewee's nickname. Her weblog http://z8un.com is one of the most well-known Farsi weblogs. Zeitoon has a different online identity from her real life and even her friends and relatives are unaware of her weblog. This is not uncommon and bloggers often choose not to identify themselves. Zeitoon did not agree to be interviewed orally to protect her identity.
This blogger was arrested and sentenced to a lengthy prison sentence as a result of the weblog. Temporary release from prison for medical treatment enabled participation in the interview.
References
Alavi, N. (2006). We are Iran, London: Portobello.
Amir-Ebrahimi, M. (2009). Performance in everyday life the rediscovery of the ‘self’ in Iranian weblogs, [www document] http://www.badjens.com/rediscovery.html (accessed 4th November 2009).
Berglund, N. (2009). Norway blasts stoning in Iran, [www document] http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1880866.ece (accessed 4th November 2009).
Breslow, H. (1997). Civil Society Political Economy, and the Internet, in S. Jones (ed.) Virtual Culture: Identity and communication in cyber society, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, pp. 236–257.
Castells, M. (2001). The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the internet, business and society, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Diani, M. (2003). Networks and Social Movements: A research paradigm, in M. Diani and D. McAdam (eds.) Social Movements and Networks: Relational approaches to collective action, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 299–319.
DiMaggio, P., Hargittai, E., Neuman, W.R. and Robinson, J.P. (2001). Social Implications of the Internet, Annual Review of Sociology 27: 307–336.
Ehn, P. (1990). Work-oriented Design of Computer Artifacts, Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Elliott, M. and Kraemer, K.L. (2008). Computerization Movements and Technology Diffusion: From mainframes to ubiquitous computing, Medford, NJ: Information Today.
Garcia, A., Standlee, A., Bechkoff, J. and Cui, Y. (2009). Ethnographic Approaches to the Internet and Computer-mediated Communication, Journal of Contemporary Ethnography 38: 52–84.
Hague, B.N. and Loader, B. (1999). Digital Democracy: Discourse and decision making in the information age, London: Routledge.
Hammersley, B. (2002). Iran nets another revolt, The Guardian [www document] http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2002/feb/21/iran.onlinesupplement (accessed 8th November 2009).
Hine, C. (2000). Virtual Ethnography, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Hofheinz, A. (2005). The Internet in the Arab world: Playground for political liberalization, International Politics and Society 3: 78–96.
Hunt, N. and McHale, S. (2007). A Practical Guide to the e-mail Interview, Qualitative Health Research 17 (10): 1415–1421.
Iacono, S. and Kling, R. (2001). Computerization Movements: The rise of the internet and distant forms of work, in J. Yates and V.J. Maanen (eds.) Information Technology and Organizational Transformation: History, rhetoric, and practice, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, pp. 93–136.
Illich, I. (1973). Tools for Conviviality, New York: Harper Collins.
Kahn, R. and Kellner, D. (2004). New Media and Internet Activism: From the ‘battle of Seattle’ to blogging, New Media & Society 6: 87–95.
Kamarck, E. and Nye, J. (1999). Democracy.com? Governance in a Networked World, Hollis, NH: Hollis Publishing.
King, J.L., Iacono, S. and Grudin, J. (2007). Going Critical: Perspective and proportion in the epistemology of Rob Kling, Information Society 23 (4): 251–262.
Kling, R. and Dutton, W. (1982). The Computer Package, Dynamic Complexity, in J.N. Danziger, W.H. Dutton, R. Kling and K.L. Kraemer (eds.) Computers and Politics: High technology in American local governments, New York: Columbia University Press, pp. 22–50.
Kling, R. and Iacono, S. (1988). The Mobilization of Support for Computerization: The role of computerization movements, Social Problems 35 (3): 226–243.
Kling, R. and Scacchi, W. (1982). The Web of Computing: Computer technology as social organization, Advances in Computers 21: 1–90.
Lim, M. (2003). The Internet, Social Networks and Reform in Indonesia, in N. Couldry and J. Curran (eds.) Contesting Media Power: Alternative media in a networked world, Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield, pp. 273–285.
Loewenstein, A. (2008). The Blogging Revolution, Melbourne: Melbourne University Publishing.
Macintyre, B. (2005). Mullahs versus the bloggers, The Times [www document] http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/ben_macintyre/article782133.ece (accessed 8th December 2009).
Orlikowski, W. and Iacono, C. (2001). Desperately Seeking the ‘IT’ in IT Research – a call to theorizing the IT artifact, Information Systems Research 12 (2): 121–134.
Osanloo, A. (2009). The Politics of Women's Rights in Iran, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Papacharissi, Z. (2002). The Virtual Sphere: The internet as the public sphere, New Media & Society 4 (1): 5–23.
Pavlik, J.V. (1994). Citizen Access, Involvement, and Freedom of Expression in an Electronic Environment, in F. Williams and J.V. Pavlik (eds.) The People's Right to Know: Media, democracy, and the information highway, Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum, pp. 139–162.
Rahimi, B. (2003). Cyberdissent: The internet in revolutionary Iran, Middle Eastern Review of International Affairs 7 (3): 101–115.
Reuters (2008). Iran steps up policing of Islamic dress, [www document] http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-35632520080924 (accessed 24th September 2008).
Rheingold, H. (1993). The Virtual Community: Homesteading on the electronic frontier, Reading: Addison-Wesley.
Rheingold, H. (2002). Smart Mobs: The next social revolution, Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing.
Ruhleder, K. (2000). The Virtual Ethnographer: Fieldwork in distributed electronic environments, Field Methods 12 (1): 3–17.
Stebbins, R. (2001). Exploratory Research in the Social Sciences, London: Sage.
Tapscott, D. and Williams, A.D. (2008). Wikinomics: How mass collaboration changes everything, New York: Penguin.
Toffler, A. (1991). Power Shift: Knowledge, wealth, and violence at the edge of the 21st century, New York: Bantam.
United Nations (2009). United Nations press release, [www document] http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/0/F089093831E92B68C1257314004A15B5?opendocument (accessed June 2009).
Walsham, G. (1995). Interpretive Case Studies in IS Research: Nature and method, European Journal Of Information Systems 4 (2): 74–81.
Wastell, D., Kawalek, P., Langmead-Jones, P. and Ormerod, R. (2004). Information Systems and Partnership in Multi-agency Networks: An action research project in crime reduction, Information and Organization 14: 189–210.
World Bank (2007). ICT at a glance: Iran, [www document] http://devdata.worldbank.org/ict/irn_ict.pdf (accessed July 2007).
World Bank (2008). World development indicators database, [www document] http://www.worldbank.org/data/countrydata/countrydata.html (accessed September 2008).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ameripour, A., Nicholson, B. & Newman, M. Conviviality of Internet social networks: An exploratory study of Internet campaigns in Iran. J Inf Technol 25, 244–257 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1057/jit.2010.14
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/jit.2010.14