Social interface

Social interface is a concept from social science (particularly, sociology of technology). It can be approached from a theoretical or a more practical perspective.

As a theoretical concept of social interface theory, social interface is defined by Long (1989). In 2001 his revised definition was: "a social interface is a critical point of intersection between different lifeworlds, social fields or levels of social organization, where social discontinuities based upon discrepancies in values, interests, knowledges and power, are most likely to be located." [For old 1989 definition, see Long, Norman, ed. 1989. Encounters at the Interface: a Perspective in Social Discontinuities in Rural Development, Wageningse Sociologische Studies 27. Wageningen: Wageningen Agricultural University. For new 2001 definition, see [http://books.google.com/books?id=Y94nwmAgkI4C&pg=PA243&dq=%22Social+interface%22&as_brr=3&ei=9VyGSMHyMI6UiAHnmNDcAw&sig=ACfU3U0JzvkhPV5yukxOcgG7WF8sIlvU0gGoogle Print, p.243] in Norman Long, "Development Sociology: Actor Perspectives", Routledge, 2001, ISBN 0415235359, ] In other words, according to Douthwaite et al., interfaces are the areas in which different social groups experience mutual friction and, if the introduction of a new technology is going to cause problems or create opportunities (i.e., structural discontinuities), the interface is where they will be found. Long goes on to say that " ... the concept implies face-to-face encounters between individuals or social units representing different interests and backed by different resources." It is by identifying these interfaces and then studying the perturbations that occur as a result of the intervention that we can understand how interventions are modified by everyday life, and vice versa. [Long, N. 1992. From paradigm lost to paradigm regained; the case of actor-oriented sociology of development. Pages 16-43 in N. Long and A. Long, editors. Battlefields of knowledge: the interlocking of theory and practice in social research and development. Routledge, New York, New York, USA.] [Arce, A., and N. Long. 1992. The dynamics of knowledge: interfaces between bureaucrats and peasants. Pages 211-245 in N. Long and A. Long, editors. Battlefields of knowledge: the interlocking of theory and practice in social research and development. Routledge, London, UK.] [Douthwaite, B., N. C. de Haan, V. Manyong, and D. Keatinge. 2001. Blending "hard" and "soft" science: the "follow-the-technology" approach to catalyzing and evaluating technology change. Conservation Ecology 5(2): 13. [online] URL: http://www.consecol.org/vol5/iss2/art13/ ]

As practical concept of social interface design, social interface is seen in the sociological studies of human-computer interaction (in particular, its computer interface aspect). The basic thesis is that humanizing cues in a computer interface can elicit responses from users during human-to-artifact (ex. computer) interaction similar to those produced by human-to-human interaction. These humanizing cues often confer human characteristics on the interface (such as gender) or suggest that the interface is an agent actively interacting with the respondent. [Tourangeau R.; Couper M.P.; Steiger D.M., " Humanizing self-administered surveys: experiments on social presence in web and IVR surveys", Computers in Human Behavior, Volume 19, Number 1, January 2003 , pp. 1-24(24), [http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/els/07475632/2003/00000019/00000001/art00032] ] For example, such studies may be concerned with how should software agents (like the Microsoft Agent) be designed to make them more appealing (should it have human facial expressions, be anthropomorphic, and so on). [Michael A. Cusumano, Richard W. Selby, "Microsoft Secrets: How the World's Most Powerful Software Company Creates Techology, Shakes Markets and Manages People". Simon and Schuster, 1998, ISBN 0684855313, [http://books.google.com/books?id=GixEgGs5qXcC&pg=PA178&dq=%22Social+interface%22&lr=&as_brr=3&ei=U72ESNnMNIHsiQHKtO3jAg&sig=ACfU3U3qf7_iTQNRwNyWc9znyPOY0Qu5_Q Google Print, p.178] ]

ee also

*Interactivity

Notes

External links

* [http://socialsoftware.weblogsinc.com/2004/09/12/social-interface-design Social Interface Design]
* [http://www.mfeldstein.com/a_different_take_on_social_interfaces/ Joel Spolsky on "A Different Take on Social Interfaces"]
* [http://www.usabilityviews.com/uv010616.html social interface theory]