Information cultures: the lightening of French information and communication science researchers to understand an emerging concept
Liquète Vincent – Université de Bordeaux-ESPE
Abstract
During the last 15 years, information culture(s) has been the theme of numerous scientific publications and events in France. The idea of a technological overcoming by the cultural approach has progressively emerged, particularly among French researchers. This idea is based on two topics: on one hand, on a hermeneutical approach of interpreting social, economic and social functions; and on the other hand, on a symbolic approach of social communication, aiming to connect agents with technical, reticular, and informational changes. Information culture(s) is therefore a “living concept” designed to enable every individual to understand informational, technical, and media environment in which s/he has to deal within academic, professional, cultural, and social context. In this paper we define a nowadays information culture(s), especially in the context of the information society. We attempt to explain how information culture has entered into professional, academic, and web-based contexts, according to French researchers who identify common theoretical and epistemologic denominators. And also, whether the concept of information culture is a hollow or a founding concept to understand the relationship between information, environments, and documents?
Key words: information culture/information epistemology/social uses of information/information professional