Abstract
In this chapter, we attempt to achieve a better understanding of how cooperative work is partly accomplished by virtue of the actors’ manipulation and control of causal relationships central to their material field of work. Previous CSCW studies have not focused extensively on causation in cooperative work (e.g. see Schmidt and Bannon 2013). Consequently, it is a challenge to find a conception of causation appropriate for the study of cooperative work. This chapter addresses this challenge.
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Notes
- 1.
It is beyond the scope of this chapter to review these theories in full; please see, for example, Cartwright (2007) for an excellent treatment of the subject.
- 2.
In a review of Nancy Cartwright’s (2007) book Hunting Causes and Using Them, Kevin Hoover (2009) finds that sometimes Cartwright treats the various accounts of causation as if they were so different that it is not clear why they should be the subject of a single book. The critique goes on to say that she fails to explain what they have in common, if, as she apparently believes, they do not have a common essence. In fact Cartwright (2007, p. 44) does state that she finds that the various theories of causation seem to have ‘little of substantial content in common’. Do they have a Wittgensteinian family resemblance?
- 3.
Since we raise the relevance of the manipulability conception of causation for scientific work, it may be appropriate to distinguish our arguments and interests from existing science and technology studies (STS) and sociology of scientific knowledge (SSK) literature. Briefly told, proponents of STS (e.g. Barad, Keller and Tchalakov) and SSK (e.g. Bloor, Collins and Yearly) are primarily interested in how social, political and cultural values influence scientific research and technological innovation and how these, in turn, affect society, politics and culture. In comparison, we are in this chapter, from the starting point of causal plurality, primarily interested in identifying and in turn employing a conception of causation relevant and useful for the enterprise of CSCW. Our evolving argument is that the manipulability conception of causation may be useful for CSCW, and we will as advertised attempt to show that in the following pages of analytical work in relation to two cases of cooperative work. In this manner our interest in this chapter differs somewhat from those of STS and SSK.
- 4.
For a more in-depth discussion of the ‘circularity’ issue and its implications, see Woodward (2013).
- 5.
This is from series 3 and onwards once the preliminaries such as establishing a baseline have been completed.
- 6.
There are 53 series of examination and treatment in total in this protocol of chemotherapy.
- 7.
This is a member’s concept, i.e. an expression used by the actors on the building site.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the practitioners in both oncology and the building process for access to their work. Furthermore, we would like to thank Volker Wulf and Dave Randall for encouraging us to write this chapter and for providing invaluable comments and critique.
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Christensen, L.R., Bertelsen, O.W. (2015). A View of Causation for CSCW: Manipulation and Control in the Material Field of Work. In: Wulf, V., Schmidt, K., Randall, D. (eds) Designing Socially Embedded Technologies in the Real-World. Computer Supported Cooperative Work. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6720-4_8
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