Interview with Christina Courtright
Christina Courtright is a Ph.D. candidate at Indiana University’s School of Library and Information Science. The first recipient of the Rob Kling Social Informatics Fellowship, Christina first met Dr. Kling in 1997 when she was considering attending SLIS as a master’s student. Her dissertation focuses on information-seeking among Spanish-speaking new residents in southern Indiana, particularly their use of social networks, institutions, and different technologies. For more information, visit Christina’s home page at http://mypage.iu.edu/~ccourtri/home.html.
The following email interview was completed on June 16, 2006…
How did you first come to know Dr. Kling? In what capacity(ies) did you know him? Can you share with us any interesting anecdotes?
I first met Dr. Kling when I visited SLIS from El Salvador, where I was living at the time. He asked what interested me about the field, and I told him I wanted to explore ways in which IT could be better used for sustainable development. He looked me straight in the eye and said “It can’t!” I was disconcerted, to say the least. But Rob went on to explain about the hidden costs of computing, and how built-in obsolescence makes IT a drag on organizations and countries with low budgets, and so forth. I resolved to try to find out more, and eventually did come to SLIS, as you know!
As noted on the RKCSI website, you were the first recipient of the Rob Kling Social Informatics Fellowship at Indiana University. What does that honor mean to you?
I am very honored to be considered as a person who helps advance Rob’s analysis of IT and society, as I think he was consistently forward-thinking and persistent in his claims about the complexity of this issue, while at the same time proposing useful approaches for practice. I would like to think I can do justice to his memory with my own small contributions.
You came to SLIS with an interesting background in international development work. Can you briefly summarize your experiences and how they affected your decision to study social informatics?
My years in El Salvador were mostly spent working in the field of information and IT, under difficult circumstances. My last area of work there was leading a World Bank project to help El Salvador think strategically about leveraging information and IT for development. Although we had many small successes along the way, and also networked worldwide with like-minded development activists, I consistently felt that I had more questions than answers. Instead of pursuing a Master’s, which had been my original plan, I was encouraged to work on a doctorate to explore these challenges in greater depth. Both SLIS and Dr. Kling gave me the opportunity and encouragement to do so.
What were the most valuable things you learned from Dr. Kling - as a teacher, researcher, and human being?
That there are never any easy answers, but that you tackle complex issues with an open mind and good humor. He was always enthusiastic about learning something new, not just in academic terms, and his enthusiasm was contagious. Rob didn’t preach - he goaded you into adopting new points of view or seeking new ways to understand things.
As indicated on your home page, you are currently working on your dissertation on the information-seeking needs of new Spanish-speaking residents of southern Indiana. What has been most challenging in this work so far? Can you share with us what you hope or expect to find?
I’m just beginning the fieldwork, and find that the most daunting aspect is cold-calling potential interview subjects. I was never much of a fundraiser, and pitching my interview project to unsuspecting people is just hard for me to do. I guess I am afraid that my chosen target population may be suspicious of the ulterior motives of a person who looks like me, particularly in these precarious times for immigrants in the US. But the interviews always go very well, and reveal a wealth of information. I’m not ready yet to talk about specific expectations, but my overall framework is looking at the relationships between information seeking and one’s social networks, knowledge of local institutions, and uses of technologies.
What have you enjoyed most and least about teaching? What are your thoughts on subjects or methods for teaching Social Informatics?
What I enjoy most about teaching is listening to students make sense out of complex issues, because that means I’ve been getting across. What’s hardest about teaching is coming up with novel ways to do that. Sometimes I think I won’t be able to. Sometimes a point falls flat and you know it on the spot. In teaching social informatics, it’s crucial to combine conceptual readings with current events, theory and practice.
What words of wisdom would you like to pass on to others involved in Social Informatics teaching or research?
I’m not sure “wisdom” is the word for it! I think I have learned that people get tired of analyzing the same issues over and over again, and must have room in any class or research project to propose alternatives, not just dissect reality.
Where would you like to see the field of Social Informatics go? Are there specific opportunities that should be seized or threats to be dealt with?
Be constructive! Build, propose, test, design, and evaluate. Not just analyze.
What’s next for you - both in the short- and long-term?
Getting through my dissertation :-) After that we’ll see.
Is there anything else you would like to share about Dr. Kling, Social Informatics, or your own research and ideas?
Rob Kling was a remarkable person, teacher and researcher, and we’ll never get him back. So it’s doubly important that his legacy be carried on through many people.
