Research

Our research examines many aspects of the social and cultural transitions underway at present around the globe, but we have a particular focus on technological change and three topics: Social Collaboration and Dynamic Communities; Global Cultures in Transition; and Technology in Education. We are currently working on expanding our research initiative portfolio to include additional research initiatives on Social Computing and Trust, Reliability, and Information Security Online.

Social Collaboration and Dynamic Communities

Social Collaboration and Dynamic Communities

The structure of communities and the myriad patterns of human engagement that comprise societies have always been tied fundamentally to technology. What we have long recognized as modern society (or “post-modern” in many interpretations) is inextricably connected to the technologies of the industrial revolution and their immediate successors.

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Cynthia Stohl

Cynthia Stohl, Research Affiliate

Cynthia Stohl is a Professor of Communication at UC Santa Barbara. Professor Stohl’s work connects several areas in organizational and group studies. She is concerned with the relationships among internal and external communication processes as they are manifest in global collaborations.

Featured Publication

Pursuing Social Change Online: The Use of Four Protest Tactics on the Internet

Earl, Jennifer. 2006. “Pursuing Social Change Online: The Use of Four Protest Tactics on the Internet.” Social Science Computer Review 24(3): 362-377.

Global Cultures in Transition

Global Cultures in Transition

Global Cultures in Transition is a research initiative affiliated with the Center for Information Technology and Society at UCSB. Rather than assume that the globalization of information technologies “flattens” or equalizes socio-economic relations around the world, researchers in this initiative explore the differences and disparities across various societies and cultures.

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Cristina Venegas

Cristina Venegas, Ph.D Emphasis Faculty, Research Affiliate

Cristina Venegas is an Assistant Professor of Film & Media Studies at UC Santa Barbara. Professor Venegas focuses her research on international media with an emphasis on Latin America, Spanish-language film and television in the U.S., and digital technologies.

Featured Publication

Plotting the Personal: Global Positioning Satellites and Interactive Media

Parks, L. 2003. "Plotting the Personal: Global Positioning Satellites and Interactive Media." Ecumene: A Journal of Cultural Geographies. 9:2, 209-222.

Technology in Education

Technology in Education

Technology has long played a role in education. However, contrary to expectations, the adoption of technology in almost all areas of education has been surprisingly slow.

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Kevin Almeroth

Kevin Almeroth, Associate Director

Kevin Almeroth is currently a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of California in Santa Barbara where his main research interests include computer networks and protocols, wireless networking, multicast communication, large-scale multimedia systems, and mobile applications.

Featured Publication

Creating a Demarcation Point Between Content Production and Encoding in a Digital Classroom

Rollins, S., Almeroth, K., Shen, Z., & Bimber, B. (2003). Creating a Demarcation Point Between Content Production and Encoding in a Digital Classroom.