Ana Maria Nicolaci-da-Costa

Sociabilidade virtual: separando o joio do trigo

Since the early days of Internet diffusion, in the mid 1990s, virtual sociability has been raising a great discussion. In contrast to the contacts between acquaintances made possible by landline telephony, Internet collective interaction environments generated the possibility of meeting people and making friends exclusively online. In those early days, these virtual relationships were strongly criticized. Nowadays, we realize that the relationships mediated by the new telecommunication networks (Internet and cellular telephony) still provoke radical negative reactions. The present paper aims at restraining or at least decelerating the diffusion of such reactions. For this purpose, it takes the recent work of a renowned sociologist - Zygmunt Bauman - as an example of this kind of view and confronts it with various results from national and international research. Such procedure allows for the presentation of an alternative view of different types of virtual interaction and virtual relationships made possible by different technologies.

Compulsory institutionalization: investigating the paradox of computer-supported informal social processes

Abstract The nature and depth of technological interference on social activities online are not fully understood. We discuss one such type of interference—compulsory institutionalization, the process by which non-institutionalized face-to-face informal groups, who typically adopt implicit norms tacitly accepted by members, must create a set of explicit group structuring rules with very specific computer-encoded meanings and abide by them when they migrate to online group environments. In societies where rules can be bypassed in view of more highly valued social norms, like the Brazilian society, compulsory institutionalization may undermine experiences that are highly valued to face-to-face groups. In this article, we contrast the findings of our study with a Brazilian group of potential groupware users and those of our semiotic inspection of YahooGroups, SmartGroups and MSN Groups. We show how the systems may frustrate the groups expectations and limit their interaction online. Reflecting on the causes and consequences of compulsory institutionalization, we conclude that the social–technical gap in group technologies may not be possible to bridge completely, and that the fulcrum of scientific research in this area may include some new aspects.

Internet: um novo desafio para os educadores

A penetracao das novas tecnologias digitais na educacao trouxe desafios para os educadores. Demonstram ja ter absorvido o uso dos computadores, mas parecem achar mais dificil lidar com a Internet. Uma revisao da literatura especializada revela que o uso desta e visto por eles como mais ameacador e complexo e que essa visao e, ao menos em parte, causada por fatores emocionais. Dado que esses estudos nao investigam esses fatores emocionais em profundidade, uma pesquisa exploratoria foi realizada com o objetivo de faze-lo. Foram entrevistadas dez professoras, que se encontravam engajadas em diferentes atividades dentro de escolas e ja usavam a Internet ha pelo menos dois anos. A analise do discurso por elas produzido durante as entrevistas gerou resultados interessantes. Embora usem a Internet como um instrumento de trabalho (principalmente para pesquisas), seu uso para objetivos educacionais parece ser uma fonte de conflitos internos, porque, na maior parte dos casos, representaria um potencial de mudancas radicais na pedagogia tradicional, vistas como uma ameaca ao seu papel tradicional como professoras. Elas nao sabem como ser educadoras em uma sociedade em rede e isso gera muita ansiedade.

Mudanças geradas pela Internet no cotidiano escolar: as reaçoes dos professores

A Internet gerou novas formas de producao, divulgacao e armazenamento de conhecimentos e informacoes, as quais tem provocado profundas mudancas nos processos pedagogicos tradicionais. A analise de 20 entrevistas realizadas com professores do ensino Fundamental e Medio de escolas particulares do Rio de Janeiro foi reveladora. Suas respostas, reacoes, comentarios e atitudes indicam que tais mudancas os tem atingido profundamente e feito enfrentar dolorosos conflitos internos. Mesmo assim, eles estao conscientes de que precisam aprender a lidar com alguns dos novos fenomenos produzidos pela Internet, principalmente com o excesso, a superficialidade e a renovacao constante de informacoes. Por isso mesmo estao: revendo os conceitos de informacao e conhecimento; reformulando praticas pedagogicas tradicionalmente usadas na pesquisa escolar; tentando se adaptar as transformacoes na tradicional relacao professor-aluno na qual antes eram poderosos e privilegiados transmissores de conhecimento; finalmente, alterando a propria concepcao do que significa ser professor hoje.

Celulares: um "presente do céu" para mães de jovens

Pesquisas realizadas em diferentes partes do mundo mostram que pais e maes equipam seus filhos jovens com celulares como uma forma de garantir sua seguranca enquanto fazem as primeiras incursoes por um mundo visto como cada vez mais perigoso. Os resultados de uma pesquisa realizada com maes de jovens cariocas entre 18 e 25 anos de idade revelam, no entanto, que essa pode nao ser a unica razao para que os filhos recebam celulares de presente de seus pais. Embora a preocupacao com a seguranca dos filhos fosse constantemente mencionada por todas as maes entrevistadas, foi sobretudo a sua propria seguranca - usada com o significado de tranquilidade, sossego, paz de espirito, etc. - que essas maes fizeram referencia. O celular e, para elas, uma importante fonte de alivio da angustia de nao saber onde estao os filhos.

Smartphones y Recursos Locativos en Brasil: Reacciones de Usuarios

The general objective of this study was to gain detailed information on how Brazilians are using the many features of their smartphones according to their own accounts. Among these features, of particular interest were the ways in which they react to and deal with the novelty presented by location awareness, especially in LBSN applications. A qualitative research guided by the Underlying Discourse Unveiling Method (UDUM) was carried out. Fifteen knowledgeable users of digital technologies aged between 23 and 38 were recruited in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Open-ended-question interviews were conducted with each. Results revealed that location-sharing reinforced their pre-existing fears related to violence and criminality. They knew that criminals may have access to these technologies. Therefore, in order to protect their personal safety most participants avoided location-disclosure. The fears mentioned by them are embedded in the violent context they live in.

Smartphones e Recursos Locativos no Brasil: Reações de Usuários

The general objective of this study was to gain detailed information on how Brazilians are using the many features of their smartphones according to their own accounts. Among these features, of particular interest were the ways in which they react to and deal with the novelty presented by location awareness, especially in LBSN applications. A qualitative research guided by the Underlying Discourse Unveiling Method (UDUM) was carried out. Fifteen knowledgeable users of digital technologies aged between 23 and 38 were recruited in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Open-ended-question interviews were conducted with each. Results revealed that location-sharing reinforced their pre-existing fears related to violence and criminality. They knew that criminals may have access to these technologies. Therefore, in order to protect their personal safety most participants avoided location-disclosure. The fears mentioned by them are embedded in the violent context they live in.

Smartphones and Location Awareness in Brazil: Users’ Reactions

The general objective of this study was to gain detailed information on how Brazilians are using the many features of their smartphones according to their own accounts. Among these features, of particular interest were the ways in which they react to and deal with the novelty presented by location awareness, especially in LBSN applications. A qualitative research guided by the Underlying Discourse Unveiling Method (UDUM) was carried out. Fifteen knowledgeable users of digital technologies aged between 23 and 38 were recruited in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Open-ended-question interviews were conducted with each. Results revealed that location-sharing reinforced their pre-existing fears related to violence and criminality. They knew that criminals may have access to these technologies. Therefore, in order to protect their personal safety most participants avoided location-disclosure. The fears mentioned by them are embedded in the violent context they live in.

A DIFÍCIL TAREFA DE COMPREENDER OS ARRANJOS ESPACIAIS CONTEMPORÂNEOS

Throughout history, time and space maintained a stable and balanced relationship. With the discovery of steam and other sources of inanimate energy, in the 18th and 19th centuries, this picture changes dramatically. Time is accelerated and its acceleration becomes one of the central distinctive features of modern age. In the last decades of the 20th century, there is another radical transformation in the time/space relationship. The new information and telecommunication technologies, the increasingly faster means of transportation and the disappearance of many modern frontiers generate an era of instantaneous communication, virtual spaces and easy circulation of information, people and goods. New space arrangements which subvert the modern ones emerge; space becomes prominent. The present paper examines already published reflections and researches on contemporary spaces. It also offers a theoretical contribution based on the results of an investigation into the use of a host of virtual and physical spaces by young Brazilians.