Sociospatial context and information behavior: Social exclusion and the influence of mobile information technology

The concepts of place and the social have been put forward as significant intertwined explanatory contexts for information behavior. Much of the research that approaches information behavior from this perspective, however, has focused on static contexts or virtual contexts and has not addressed the influence of technology in physical spaces. In this article, we explore the influence of mobile technologies in two settings. The first is a site where a social space was augmented by the introduction of technology with the potential to provide information with the belief that information behavior, use, and services would evolve. The second is where intermediaries and information systems were designed and introduced into existing social spaces (an individualʹs home, community center, or street) with the explicit intention of providing information. The intention of both implementations was to reduce social exclusion. This exploratory research used activity theory as a theoretical lens to explore end-user reaction. The findings of the research illustrate how information and service needs are now addressed through a combination of mobile information and communication technologies and human intermediary knowledge.