D ISEÑO DEL S ISTEMA

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 The home is moving towards encompassing a virtual space as well as

physical. The driving forces of this move are converging and embedded technologies. The home could be regarded as a communication sphere encompassing an extended family centre (online family), a care centre, a multimedia centre, a centre for democratic dialogue, a market place, a learning centre, and/or an entertainment centre.

The home is a growing market for all kinds of electronic gadgets, desir-able or not. We analysed in our research the following question: What is a home? “Working from home” or “homing from work” were concepts that we explored in three subprojects in the USA, Singapore/Malaysia, and Japan.

Regarding public life and citizens’ roles, there were some general observations: We are more and more doing the public service ourselves and without pay! There is a new pollution of the public environment—

mobile ethics are needed. “Multitasking” is now part of daily life and a redefi nition of “leisure” seems to be important. “The Political” has become a new playground, environment, sphere, landscape, whatever we call it.

5.3 THE CONVERGENCE THEORY

How do I perceive the world? The convergence model with the sub-title “ICT and the Psychosocial Life Environment” or “ICT, Society and Human Beings” illustrates on-going changes and processes in the net society, and synthesises the framework of my research on psycho-social work environment and computerisation that has its roots back in the 1970s and research programmes during various phases of the his-tory of computerisation. Both convergence and interactions are impor-tant features in the model. Convergence here means a move towards common content.

Figure 5.1 Convergence and complexity.

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Interaction means that technology interacts with the social world’s values and beliefs. There is also an on-going interaction between the “clusters of circles”. There are four levels of analysis—individual, organisational, com-munal, and societal. Structures impact human beings but human beings also impact structures. This is valid for economic, cultural and political structures on the societal level and, for example, organisational structures and ICT infrastructure on another level. But the process of interaction dif-fers between authoritarian and democratic societies. The main constitu-ents of the convergence theory are represented in the circle in Figure 5.2.

5.3.1 Globalization

A convergence is occurring between technology, norms/values (economy) and the labour market and is entitled Globalization. Here technology means the overall technology that exists in society. Values related to the economic system are strong driving forces. Values related to culture and religion operate inde-pendently, supportively or oppositionaly. The geographical span is changing.

The geographical space is both global and beyond—including applications of virtual reality (VR). The dotted line around the converging circles illustrates the virtual worlds (see Figure 5.3). Within the labour market we can con-Figure 5.2 The convergence theory of ICTs, society and human beings. Source:

Bradley 2005, 2006, 2011.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 companies had their own Internet before the Internet came into public use.

However, a corresponding convergence in the trade unions was late and still is not being developed to match the globalization of businesses.

5.3.2 ICTs

A convergence of computer technology, telecommunication technology and media technology occurs to become what is defi ned as ICTs. For a long time the borders between software and hardware have been blurred. The convergence between ICTs and bioscience and nanotechnology is contrib-uting to the invisible convergences. The dotted line around the three circles in Figure 5.3 illustrates the embedded (pervasive, ubiquitous) technology.

5.3.3 Life Environment

Work environment, home environment and public environment are con-verging to a life environment, where the work and public environments move into our homes and vice versa. A new emphasis on certain dimen-sions and identifying new dimensions and processes in the psychosocial environment is important, e.g. the convergence between production and consumption. The dotted line around the three circles in Figure 5.3 illus-trates the virtual environments.

5.3.4 Life Role

The professional role, the private role, and the citizen’s role converge to become a life role. Role and role formation are central concepts in social

Figure 5.3 Societal self-production. Based on: Haftor and Mirjamdotter 2011

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democracies the individual can infl uence and form his/her role/roles and is not solely a victim of structures. The dotted line around the three circles illustrates the virtual role (see Figure 5.3).

5.3.5 Eff ects on Humans

“Eff ects on humans” is represented by the circle in the middle, a fl ower or a compass card, which illustrates interactions. The individual is aff ected by ICTs, the life environment, life R role, and globalization, but can also infl uence these areas included the new VR with its subparts. Eff ects on the individual become more multi-faceted and complex. The way humans han-dle their situation can roughly be categorised as being either active or pas-sive. Examples of active reactions are involvement, creative behaviour, and protest. Examples of passive reactions are alienation and certain psycho-physiological symptoms. The important human infl uence also takes place in the various roles we take on during our life time, in the professional role, privately and as citizens (see Section 5.3.4.).

5.3.6 Virtual Reality (VR)

This summarising concept is illustrated by the four circles marked with dotted lines, surrounding the four clusters of converging circles, but also by the bigger circle framing the whole model. There are various levels of participation in cyberspace that are shown in fi gure 5.2: There are vir-tual human roles: Regarding the citizen’s role, VR is a strong factor that is reshaping the power balance between the present authorities and the grassroots and has a great potential to strengthen civil society. The main tools are the Internet and web technologies, mobile phones and new soft-ware applications within social media technology. New social media are transforming our roles; more time is spent on the net. In a more extreme form, VR is expressed by another person/personality that people take on, e.g. avatars in various online games.

5.3.7 Dynamics of the Model

The thin double-directed arrows in fi gure 5.2. in the outer part of the big circle represent interactions between the clusters of circles and the broad arrows represent the main direction for the movement in the circle model.

The main direction is emphasised by an increasing change in society due to globalization and the accelerated speed within R&D in ICT. The interaction between the clusters entitled “ICT” and “globalization” gives a powerful push to the speed of the “wheel”. Accelerated speed of economic transac-tions by robotisation puts the world economy in a high risk for crisis.

Transferring the reasoning to actions, we can in our professional role, private role and/or citizen’s role infl uence our life environment on various

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