The communication systems of representations: psychosocial research into the representations of computers and information technology in Italian daily newspapers

Abstract

This paper presents the results of research on representations of computers and information technology in the three daily Italian newspapers ( La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno, La Repubblica, and II Corriere della Sera), between 1976 and 1984. The titles of 2816 articles were analysed by categorial content analysis. The aim of the research is the exploration of structural latent dimensions and of differential aspects of representations of computers in terms of `central nuclei' with respect to the three newspapers and to the nine years. The data were analysed by several steps of multiple correspondence analysis (statistical package: SPAD-N). Five dimensions were identified. They together accounted for 74% of the total variance ( optimistic formula of Benzecri) and were defined as: 'secondariness/emphasis in the typography of newspaper space dedicated to computers': `ambivalent/positive attitudes toward the computer': `descriptive/evaluative elements of opinions about the computers': `educative-performative/productive applications of the computer': `supplements/articles as editorial characterizations of news about computers'. With the DEMOD step of SPAD-N, eleven `central nuclei' were also recognized. They show the utilization of a `diffusion system' for La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno and La Repubblica, of a `propagation system' for II Corriere della Sera; and a movement from `diffusion' to `propagation' over the period considered. The outcome of the results is discussed in relation to the naturalization of technical language, and with respect to results of other researches on attitudes towards, opinions about, and representations of the computer in Italy.

Constructing social representations of science and technology: the role of metaphors in the press and the popular scientific magazines

“…The sharing dominance of metaphors from the fields Engineering & Informatics and Genetics & Biotechnology in the categories of S&T as "a dipole of promise and/or scare" and of S&T as "a supernatural process" forms an overarching scheme that can be applied to both fields and can be described by the position that "S&T by handling supernatural powers (in other words 'playing God') can bring about fearful and/or desired outcomes." Similar representations have also been reported in articles published in the British press on Biotechnology (Liakopoulos, 2002), as well as in the Italian press about Informatics (Sensales, 1994). One might possibly attribute the fact that the general public seems to hold similar attitudes for both Engineering & Informatics and Genetics & Biotechnology to the prevalence of common representations within the corresponding disciplinary fields (Daamen et al, 1990;Agassi, 1996).…”

The I SEA Project: Digital Publications

“…In line with the literature [9,16,17], the science centers participating in the I SEA project share some characteristics but also present relevant differences. The common ground is made of the original idea of the CCV network: making science accessible through hands-on activities [18], serving schools, families, tourists, and individuals. However, their very own foundation and institutional filiation are different.…”

The I SEA Project: Digital Publications

“…Communicability between scientific language and common sense is what makes the study of social representations of science and technology relevant. For example, we now may use the word robot to characterize an athlete or the word virus to name an informatics malfunction [18]. Contrasting with areas such as natural science, metaphors used in Greek newspapers about engineering and informatics topics were located within a promise-scare axis [19].…”