Thinking Critically: Alternative Perspectives and Methods in Information Studies May 14, 2008

Thinking Critically: Alternative Perspectives and Methods in Information Studies

May 15-17, 2008, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Sponsored by the Center for Information Policy Research, the School of Information Studies, and the UW-Milwaukee Libraries, UW-Milwaukee

This conference will explore critical theories as grounded in and by alternative methodological perspectives and issues in intercultural information studies. Information studies as a field has become more disciplinarily, culturally, and methodologically diverse. This conference is intended to help advance the extension of traditional inquiry in this field into the important exploration of, and linkages to, such theoretical perspectives and approaches as feminism, disability studies, post-structuralism, queer studies, post-colonialism, post-modernism, semiotics, critical race theory, hermeneutics, and others, as we face technological, legal, cultural, and global transformations. This conference seeks to bring together scholars from multiple disciplines, who engage in the discussion of “information” and “information studies” from alternative and critical perspectives, with a goal to promote social awareness, provide insight into inequities, and lead to progressive change in our information research and practices.



We will present work from leading scholars in information ethics and critical information studies followed by break out sessions based on open space methodology. In open space methodology, participants generate topics of interest based on keynote addresses and their own expertise. A part of the conference program is devoted to in-depth group discussions of those topics logically organized to contribute to the overall theme. Outcomes of those group discussions will be presented to the plenary and eventually form part of the conference recommendations on how to promote critical theory engagement and further research in LIS.

Official Website: http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SOIS/cipr/conference08.html