Christian Licoppe

‘Connected’ Presence: The Emergence of a New Repertoire for Managing Social Relationships in a Changing Communication Technoscape

The aim of this research is to understand how the transformation of the communication technoscape allows for the development of particular patterns in the construction of social bonds. It provides evidence for the development of a ‘connected’ management of relationships, in which the (physically) absent party gains presence through the multiplication of mediated communication gestures on both sides, up to the point where copresent interactions and mediated distant exchanges seem woven into a single, seamless web. After reviewing some of the current social-science research, I rely on empirical studies of the uses of the home telephone, the mobile phone, and mobile text messaging in France to discuss how this particular repertoire of ‘connected’ relationships has gradually crystallized as these technologies have become widespread and as each additional communication resource has been made available to users. I also describe how such a ‘connected’ mode coexists with a previous way of managing ‘mediated’ relationships, in which communication technologies were thought to substitute or compensate for the rarity of face-to-face interactions.

Managing One’s Availability to Telephone Communication Through Mobile Phones: A French Case Study of the Development Dynamics of Mobile Phone Use

Abstract: This paper provides empirical results concerning the negotiation of access and joinability by mobile phone users. It shows how access is embedded in a gift-giving economy (giving one’s number for example). It also shows that the more users make themselves available on the mobile phone, the more their mobile phone traffic increases (both incoming and outgoing). This remarkable result is discussed in terms of the reciprocity involved in the management of mobile phone relationships.

Gender-Specific Use of the Domestic Telephone

The paper is based on a study on the uses of the telephone in 317 French homes. Detailed billing data over four months were collected and compared with interviews concerning each regular phone user in the household. We focus here on the correlation between the observed duration of phone calls and the gender of callers and receivers. The reasons why women telephone more are discussed and related to the gender homophily in telephone networks. Data also show that the duration of phone calls depends on the receivers gender. We suggest that politeness rules may govern the telephone call, did we argue that these civility rules explain in part why the receivers gender exerts the greatest effect on how the call is managed and on its overall duration. We propose to explore the hypothesis that telephone calls have an interactional format similar to that of a visit, but that status differences between caller and receiver may influence the unfolding of interactions between men and women through the callers adjustment of his or her interaction style to the receivers gender.

Le traitement des courriers électroniques dans les centres d'appels

This study of a call center that mainly handles sales through E-mail shows how operators develop interactional skills based on the precision and concision needed to conduct a successful exchange of electronic messages. The cognitive workload is lightened by using form letters; the writing, archiving and accessing of these letters form the basis for a sort of occupational solidarity grounded in a social and technical distribution of activities. However the skills required at the time of hiring are those related to jobs using the telephone. During the recruitment process, only “singular” candidates can take advantage of the room left by the lack of adjustment between the local classification of tasks and more general grids of qualifications and wages. The way this “singularity” can be suspected to be a transgression denotes the naturalization of a division, deeply rooted in our culture, between written and oral practices, a division which can be put to use thanks to the emergence of electronic transactions.

Tunable UV-flash krypton lamp array useful for large area deposition and in situ UV annealing of Si-based dielectrics

Abstract A low pressure VUV flashlamp at 100 Torr has been developed as a tool for ‘cold’ UV CVD and processing. The current density is related in a tunable fashion to the VUV spectral distribution (160–260 nm) up to 20 Hz. A high brightness (3400 W/Hz cm2 sr) Kr flashtube was shown to be a superior VUV source to Xe and Ar for Si-based dielectrics. The VUV efficiency of the Kr flashlamp, operated at up to 10 kA/cm2, is relatively high, up to 10%, in the spectral region. By setting four efficient Kr flashtubes, in a separate cavity, a lamp source, together with the UV CVD system characteristics, are shown useful to overall ‘cold’ processing, with focus on uniform large area, cleaning, and in situ deposition, up to 3% for 3″. The deposition rates are conveniently high, ∼100 A/min at 350°C, but well controllable to obtain several dielectric thin films on III–V materials: silicon dioxide, nitridised silicon dioxide, and silicon nitride. Device quality electrical and optical features for III–V technology are demonstrated: a zero-hysteresis MIS-InP and as a proof of the passivation of GaAs surface, the MIS-GaAs capacitor.

Bulk and surface properties of RTCVD Si3N4 films for optical device applications

Abstract Rapid thermal chemical vapour deposition is proposed to obtain optical-quality silicon nitride films on III–V semiconductors. The films have been obtained on InP at high temperature with a very high growth rate. Structural and morphological properties of nearly stoichiometric silicon nitride are presented. Nuclear reaction analysis (NRA), Rutherford backscattering (RBS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that the films are dense and have a uniform thickness. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the surface morphology of the silicon nitride films is dependent on the thickness of the films. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) allowed us to image the dielectric surface and to obtain roughness values as a function of the experimental conditions of deposition. Refractive indices measured at 6328 A are linearly dependent on the film thickness. We show that the refractive index in this case is also tightly connected to the surface morphology of the deposited thin film.

Les voix de la rÉalitÉ dans la jungle technologique

This paper explores the use of ethnographic research to help companies design, build, and implement products and services that meet the stated and unstated needs of consumers. Although many products enjoy an international presence in the global economy, the market is far from homogeneous. Cultural practices and beliefs strongly influence the meaning and, consequently, the usage of products. If a product is not culturally resonant, the product may not be adopted by consumers - no matter how technologically advanced or innovative the product may be. Specifically, this paper explores mobile phone, and advanced network I-mode adoption in Japan. Research methodologies used in the case study are described, including how these techniques elucidate the various social and cultural processes that influence adoption. In order to develop wireless and other mobile communication solutions that are culturally, emotionally, and technically satisfying for users, the current “ global paradigm” must be reconsidered. Incorporating anthropology into the design process is a crucial first step in helping telecommunication companies define their next generation of products and services in the mobile communications arena.RésuméCet article s’intéresse à la façon dont les entreprises utilisent les recherches ethnographiques pour concevoir, fabriquer et lancer des produits ou des services répondant aux besoins, attestés ou non, des consommateurs. Même si bon nombre de ces produits sont présents sur la scène économique à l’échelle mondiale, le marché est loin d’être homogene. Les dogmes et les pratiques culturelles exercent une forte influence sur la signification donnée à de tels objets et donc sur leur utilisation. Si un produit ne bénéficie pas d’un écho culturel, il pourra être rejeté par les consommateurs quel que soit son caractère innovateur ou l’avancée technologique qu ’il représente. L’article se concentre plus particulièrement sur l’usage du téléphone mobile et du service I-mode au Japon. Les méthodes de recherche utilisées sont décrites et notamment la façon dont elles mettent en lumière les processus sociaux et culturels susceptibles d’influencer l’adoption d’un téléphone mobile. Afin de développer le secteur des téléphones sans fil et d’élaborer de nouvelles techniques de communications mobiles qui puissent satisfaire les consommateurs aussi bien sur le plan culturel, qu’émotionnel et technique, il est nécessaire de repenser le concept de « paradigme mondial » tel qu ’il est envisagé aujourd’hui. Dans un premier temps, il est tout à fait crucial d’ajouter une dimension anthropologique à la conception des objets, ce qui devrait aider les entreprises de télécommunication à définir une nouvelle génération de produits et de services en phase avec le monde des télécommunications mobiles.Cet article s’interesse a la facon dont les entreprises utilisent les recherches ethnographiques pour concevoir, fabriquer et lancer des produits ou des services repondant aux besoins, attestes ou non, des consommateurs. Meme si bon nombre de ces produits sont presents sur la scene economique a l’echelle mondiale, le marche est loin d’etre homogene. Les dogmes et les pratiques culturelles exercent une forte influence sur la signification donnee a de tels objets et donc sur leur utilisation. Si un produit ne beneficie pas d’un echo culturel, il pourra etre rejete par les consommateurs quel que soit son caractere innovateur ou l’avancee technologique qu ’il represente. L’article se concentre plus particulierement sur l’usage du telephone mobile et du service I-mode au Japon. Les methodes de recherche utilisees sont decrites et notamment la facon dont elles mettent en lumiere les processus sociaux et culturels susceptibles d’influencer l’adoption d’un telephone mobile. Afin de developper le secteur des telephones sans fil et d’elaborer de nouvelles techniques de communications mobiles qui puissent satisfaire les consommateurs aussi bien sur le plan culturel, qu’emotionnel et technique, il est necessaire de repenser le concept de « paradigme mondial » tel qu ’il est envisage aujourd’hui. Dans un premier temps, il est tout a fait crucial d’ajouter une dimension anthropologique a la conception des objets, ce qui devrait aider les entreprises de telecommunication a definir une nouvelle generation de produits et de services en phase avec le monde des telecommunications mobiles.

SiON large area deposition with a deep-UV flash argon/krypton lamp array

Abstract Silicon oxynitride, SiO x N y ( x , y ∼), grown by flash deep-ultraviolet chemical vapor deposition (FUV CVD) has attractive optical, electrical, mechanical and chemical properties which make it a suitable dielectric with low dielectric constant for both microelectronics and photonics applications. At low temperatures (300–400°C) large area nearby-stoichiometric films are deposited. At different precursor flow ratios, SiO x N y films are obtained with variable x and y . This allows variation of optical functions with x and y . FUV CVD films are low in hydrogen and free of water and hydroxyl. Since the deposition temperature is significantly lower than that observed in other conventional techniques, they are essentially free of stress.

The Effect of Impurities in the SPE Kinetics in GaAs

Solid phase epitaxial (SPE) growth of ion implanted GaAs layers has been studied using the time resolved reflectivity technique. A series of implanted impurities have been selected to study the dependance of the nature of the impurity on the growth kinetics. It has been found that the activation energy and the kinetics of growth were independant on the choice of implanted substitutional impurity. Only impurities such as Argon were responsible of a large decrease in the regrowth rate. The same technique is shown to bring informations on the amorphous-crystal interface structure during growth. From these informations it has been possible to show that interface roughening occured during SPE in (100) GaAs. This interface evolution is an intrinsic property of the implanted GaAs material.