13 chapter - Studies of Work in Human-Computer Interaction

Abstract

This chapter presents the studies of work in human–computer interaction (HCI). HCI has increasingly emphasized research into systems that support the interactions and collaborations among people in their workplace. This has been particularly evident in the field of computer-supported collaborative work (CSCW) and has involved turning to the disciplines that have been associated with research into the work setting, specifically sociology. Sociology is, however, a far-from-unified field, and it is possible to see that a variety of sociological theories and methods have been used as resources in HCI. A particular type of sociology, ethnomethodology, has come to predominate the emergent HCI concerns with the workplace. It utilizes an ethnographic/fieldwork approach rather than drawing off a particular social theory; it is empirical in as much as it is concerned with the analysis of work and the workplace; and it owes much to the methodology of ethnomethodology and conversation analysis.