Search Results (40)

The evolving role of paramedics presents a unique opportunity to enhance care for people who use drugs, a population disproportionately affected by systemic barriers and inequities. In fragmented healthcare systems, paramedics are well-positioned to improve access through initiatives such as social prescribing and harm reduction. This theory-driven commentary explores how Network Theory and Actor Network Theory provide valuable theoretical underpinnings to conceptualize and strengthen the integration of paramedics into care networks. By emphasizing the centrality of paramedics and their connections with both human and non-human actors, these theories illuminate the relational dynamics that influence effective care delivery. We argue that leveraging paramedics’ positionality can address gaps in system navigation, improve patient outcomes, and inform policy reforms. Future work should examine the roles of other key actors, strengthen paramedic advocacy, and identify strategies to overcome barriers to care for people who use drugs. Full article

Actor-network theory (ANT) represents a research paradigm that emerged within science and technology studies by explicitly focusing on the contingency of scientific inventions and the role of non-human actants in the invention course of action. The article adopts an ANT perspective to focus on the invention of Sub-Wavelength Grating (SWG) photonic metamaterials by the members of a research group in the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada. The results are based on unstructured interviews with the key inventor and two domain experts as well as on textual analysis (topic modeling) of the contributions and novelty claims in the corpus of research articles by the NRC group crafting the concept and potential applications of SWGs in the photonics domain. Topic modeling is a type of statistical modeling that uses unsupervised machine learning to identify clusters or groups of similar words within a body of text. It uses semantic structures in texts to understand unstructured data without predefined tags or training data. Adopting topic modeling as a semantic technology allowed the identification of two of the key non-human factors or actants: (a) photonics design and simulations and (b) the fabrication techniques and facilities used to produce the physical prototypes of the photonics devices incorporating the invented SWG waveguiding effect. Using topic modeling as a semantic technology in ANT-inspired research studies focusing on non-human actants provides significant opportunities for future research. Full article

The recent emergence of generative AI, particularly prompt-based models, and its embedding in many social domains and practices has revived the notion of co-creation and distributed agency already familiar in art practice and theory. Drawing on Actor-Network Theory (ANT) and its central notion of agency, this article explores the extent to which the collaboration between the artist and AI represents a new form of co-creation and distributed agency. It compares AI art with artistic movements such as Dada, Surrealism, Minimalism and Conceptual Art, which also challenged the notion of the autonomous artist and her agency by incorporating randomness on the one hand and rule-based systems on the other. In contrast, artistic practice with AI can be described as an iterative process of creative feedback loops, oscillating between order and disorder, (calculated) randomness and calculation, enabling a very specific kind of self-reflection and entanglement with the alienation of one’s own perspective. Furthermore, this article argues that most artistic projects that explore and work with AI are, in their own specific way, a demonstration of hybridity and entanglement, as well as the distribution of agency between the human and the non-human, and can thus be described as a network phenomenon. Full article

Artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly disrupted B2B markets, impacting companies at the product, service, and organizational levels. A key focus is on how to leverage the power of AI to augment and automate activities to create value for customers. One specific form of value creation investigated in marketing is co-creation between parties. Introducing AI into the co-creation process is exciting due to its technological characteristics and the anticipated business value it can bring. This study explores the state of the art in co-creation with AI in B2B markets. It examines how buyers, suppliers, and technology providers interact, along with their motives and characteristics. Furthermore, it investigates the processes enabling these interactions, from the form of AI used and AI tool integration to the necessary capabilities of other actors involved. Finally, this study examines the content of co-creation described in the existing literature and the value created jointly. This review contributes to delineating the interaction between human and non-human actors in a B2B co-creation ecosystem. The implications of this research provide B2B companies with a discussion about the actors, motives, characteristics, processes, and content of co-creation with AI in B2B drivers and barriers of AI for co-creation, mapping the way for success. Full article

Urban riparian spaces are notoriously vulnerable, and pressure on water resources is growing. In the context of a fast-growing urban population and a lack of state-level structures and services to deal with water and sanitation, these spaces—including both land and water—are rapidly being degraded. Ongata Rongai, a satellite town in the Nairobi Metropolitan Area, is one of these spaces. Traditional livelihoods exist cheek-by-jowl with modern life; livestock are watered at the rivers, lions frequent the riverbanks, large commercial farms extract water for crops, industrial factories release heavy metal contaminants into the rivers, and rapidly constructed poor-quality apartment blocks with no provision for human waste release untreated sewage and dump trash into the rivers. Compounding these anthropogenic impacts is that of climate change. Riparian spaces have become sites where humans and animals fight for access to water and riparian space, and rain becomes less reliable or frequent, yet at other times, these spaces experience flash flooding and catastrophic water levels leading to the destruction of land. This study explores the dynamics of a rapidly changing riparian environment which finds itself dominated by urbanity, under the increasing pressure of anthropogenic climate change using a One Health perspective. This study contributes much needed human voices to a growing body of literature led by indigenous Kenyan scholars, calling for urgent structural level action to conserve urban riparian zones for the benefit of human and non-human actors. Full article

Pursuing marital partners far from home can be a complicated endeavor, and the motives to travel for a companion can be a combination of pushes from one’s locality and pulls toward something new. In the Hebrew Bible, several narratives concern pursuing a partner far from home, but the motives of the person traveling have not seen much scholarly attention. In this contribution, the entangled motives are traced in three select narratives (Judg 14; Gen 24; Tob) that each represents a specific category of pursuing a partner. Samson pursues a known partner, Isaac and his family pursue an unknown partner, and Tobias unknowingly pursues a partner. These three narrative categories are explored utilizing the framework of actor-network theory to tease out the entangled human and non-human actants that affect the motives and the pursuit itself. This contribution reveals that motives are always entangled in more extensive networks, agency is distributed among various actants, and no pursuit of a companion in the Hebrew Bible is exactly like another. Full article

This research provides an abstract representation of neighborhoods, accounting for the actors involved in the process of their formation and transformation as local entities embedded in a complex yet specific configuration of historical, social, structural, and political contexts. The analysis uses a conceptual framework combining Assemblage Theory and Actor–Network Theory to examine how both human and non-human actors or agents interact and consequently exert an impact on three different neighborhoods in Limassol, Cyprus. The methodology combines both qualitative as well as quantitative approaches. The tools used include space syntax, land use, and building typology, descriptive statistics of social factors, a photographic survey, observation of the built environment’s expressive features, and archival research of press articles. The findings reveal the extent to which global factors, such as colonialism and the mobility of wealthy populations from former Soviet countries, have an impact on the social makeup and expressive features of the environment, while local factors, such as block size and housing typology, have a strong impact on the use of public space. Furthermore, more complex networks may exhibit structural resilience or adaptability but may be, at the same time, more sensitive to varying and conflicting interests. Full article

To probe the presence of mirror neurons in the human brain, cross-modal fMRI adaptation has been suggested as a suitable technique. The rationale behind this suggestion is that this technique allows making more accurate inferences about neural response properties underlying fMRI voxel activations, beyond merely showing shared voxels that are active during both action observation and execution. However, the validity of using cross-modal fMRI adaptation to demonstrate the presence of mirror neurons in parietal and premotor brain regions has been questioned given the inconsistent and weak results obtained in human studies. A better understanding of cross-modal fMRI adaptation effects in the macaque brain is required as the rationale for using this approach is based on several assumptions related to macaque mirror neuron response properties that still need validation. Here, we conducted a cross-modal fMRI adaptation study in macaque monkeys, using the same action execution and action observation tasks that successfully yielded mirror neuron region cross-modal action decoding in a previous monkey MVPA study. We scanned two male rhesus monkeys while they first executed a sequence of either reach-and-grasp or reach-and-touch hand actions and then observed a video of a human actor performing these motor acts. Both whole-brain and region-of-interest analyses failed to demonstrate cross-modal fMRI adaptation effects in parietal and premotor mirror neuron regions. Our results, in line with previous findings in non-human primates, show that cross-modal motor-to-visual fMRI adaptation is not easily detected in monkey brain regions known to house mirror neurons. Thus, our results advocate caution in using cross-modal fMRI adaptation as a method to infer whether mirror neurons can be found in the primate brain. Full article

Current planning of urban landscapes is dominated by a human-centric view. This leads to short-term orientation, predictable planning outcomes, and decisions being taken by a small group of humans. Alternatively, a symbiotic human–nature relationship could be a prelude to a balanced future in which sustaining all living organisms prevails. In this article, a novel approach to designing such an urban landscape is presented: the Eco-cathedric City. In this proposition, the design process thrives on high complexity, deep uncertainty, contingent nature–human relations, slow urbanism, and imaginability. It is concluded that three mechanisms should be core to this approach: (eco-)cathedral thinking, considering the impact of current decisions on seven future generations; (eco-)acupuncturist design, which plans for the process by igniting a single small intervention; and (eco-)cracy, in which a variety of actors, human and non-human organisms, co-decide. In a practical sense, the Eco-cathedric City finds its foundation in understanding local ecosystems and using this knowledge to design a self-organizing ecosystem in which regenerative resource management is prioritized, after which social constructs are formed to support this design and to fit human uses within the boundaries of this framework to conclude with an evolving belief system in which reciprocity and symbiocity are the core values. Full article

Effective rural governance is the foundation for achieving rural revitalization and promoting the modernization of China’s system and governance capacity in the new era. The elucidation of the influencing factors and driving pathways underlying effective rural governance has significant importance in facilitating the advancement of rural revitalization. Drawing upon the Actor-Network Theory (ANT), this study introduces an analytical framework of “human actor dimension—non-human actor dimension”. The study employs the fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparison Analysis (fsQCA) to explore the effective governance pathways within 20 typical cases of rural governance. The study reveals that a cooperative-based collective economy is a necessary condition for effective governance, while possessing a resource advantage is a core condition. Villager autonomy, local culture, and new technology are marginal conditions for effective governance, while the absence of elite participation fails to promote effective governance. The combination of human variables and resource compacts gives rise to “human actor-resource compacts” and “non-human actor-resource compacts”. The study further elaborates on the efficacious model of rural governance through three multifactor driving pathways: “human actor-non-human actor resource sparse linkage”. The research emphasizes the importance of fortifying rural governance and revitalization through the cultivation of relationships, enhancing government management systems, embracing technological innovation, supporting community economies, and advocating mechanisms that empower rural elites and talent. Full article

This study analyzes the growing trend of urban green infrastructures, particularly green façade systems, in terms of their infrastructural relationships between nature and culture and their potential to act as bioclimatic layers mediating between the needs of flora, fauna and human habitation. An interdisciplinary approach is taken by combining the perspectives of social and engineering sciences to discuss the contribution of green façade systems for more-than-human conviviality in cities. Green infrastructures can support this endeavor by enabling functions that help to integrate the heterogeneity typical for semi-natural structures into urban ones, especially regarding microclimatic and biodiversity-enhancing functions. The theoretical distinction between “gray”, “green”, and “revolutionary” infrastructure is used to differentiate between conventional and posthumanist conceptualizations of urban naturecultures. The performance of the UNA TERRA living wall prototype as a green and revolutionary infrastructure is evaluated. The results show that the living wall has beneficial microclimatic effects and adds a heterogeneous habitat structure that supports biodiversity in the urban context. By adhering to “egalitarian humility” in design, the uncertainty and openness of more-than-human conviviality are acknowledged. The study finds that green infrastructures such as green façade systems can fulfill the criteria of revolutionary infrastructure if the contribution to local biodiversity and structural complexity is prioritized and the heterogeneous interrelations between human and non-human actors are taken into account. Full article

This paper adds to the growing body of literature on digitally mediated preaching by using actor–network theory (ANT) in conjunction with Amanda Lagerkvist’s work on digital media as theoretical lenses to describe and discuss what we term “the paradox of (im)perfection”. This paradox refers to the tension between an ideal of perfection and an ideal of imperfection (or vulnerability) as experienced by church practitioners who were “thrown” online abruptly and unexpectedly due to the pandemic. In our analysis we show how human and non-human actors interact (and act on each other) in ways that assemble their networks towards a mode of visibility and perfection, or towards a mode of authenticity, intimacy, and imperfection. In the former mode, preachers and church practitioners find themselves competing in “a mimetic visibility contest” that is characterized by an ontology of numbers (likes, follower counts, retweets, etc.) and a subsequent ethos of quantification. In the latter mode, an ethos of care affords the opportunity for spiritual intimacy, even among “anonymous” online individuals. Drawing on Deanna A. Thompson’s and Amanda Lagerkvist’s work, we argue that the latter mode enacts “a cruciform media ethics” in which the embodied worshiping community interacting online can be understood as “the virtual body of the suffering Christ”. Here, digital media is enacting as “caring media” rather than “metric media”. While the paper introduces message-oriented, media-oriented, and ontology-oriented approaches as helpful for the study of digitally mediated preaching, it ultimately argues for the superior virtues of ANT as a non-dichotomous approach—overcoming both the message/media and the virtual/real divides which are often inherent to other approaches. Full article

Loneliness and isolation were two factors introduced as “effective measures” during the COVID-19 crisis. The lockdown exacerbated loneliness among those already suffering from acute illnesses. In this context, a rereading of the film Lars and the Real Girl by Craig Gillespie is particularly relevant as it offers novel perspectives on loneliness. The interplay between Lars’s desire to be in a compassionate relationship and the fear of meeting and socializing is comparable to what was witnessed across the coronavirus-afflicted world. This paper explores the potential for understanding delusion caused by traumatic experiences as a form of communication rather than a mental disorder. The film explains how a silicone sex doll functions as a medium between the lonesome Lars and society in resolving the trauma. The paper focuses on the infantile nature of humans and uses infantilism in a conducive manner to understand anthropomorphism for bridging the gap between a lonely/delusional person and society while drawing examples from the film. The introduction of a nonhuman actor—an anatomically correct doll—becomes an opportunity for a traumatized person such as Lars to know himself well and gradually open up to socializing. As he moves from external to threshold en-rolling, followed by internal en-rolling, it indicates his opening up to communication as he moves from language to lalangue and creates his world with the doll. This film presents a therapeutic approach to treating schizoid personality disorder with the assistance of a nonhuman actor. Full article

The seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to address environmental, social, global, and economic challenges. The SDGs were a continuation of the Millennium Development Goals and assumed a common vision for the year 2030. Efforts to achieve the SDGs must be carried out in an integrated manner, respecting the three pillars of sustainable development, which are economic, social, and environmental. This review analyses the viability of Sustainable Development Goal 17 (SDG 17), which aims to build global partnerships for development. It makes specific reference to multi-stakeholder collaboration between all sectors of society. While the first sixteen SDGs are dedicated to concrete actions, SDG 17 Partnerships for Development coordinates and facilitates the implementation of the other goals. SDG 17 promotes the “right way” of collaboration between different actors through the formation of multi-stakeholder partnerships, which are essential to foster sustainable development. Although SDG 17 has its multiple advantages, it also does have its limitations, such as the present absence of a lessons-learned repository to share and understand how multi-stakeholder partnerships can prove more effective in promoting the successful implementation of the rest of the SDGs, as well as that SDG 17 seems to be regarded as more appropriate to the achievement of the economic pillar of sustainability at the moment, rather than being applied more widely. In this review, we analyze two case studies located in the south-western part of France, from which one can observe the great number of stakeholders, some non-human, even inanimate, present even in relatively minor projects and how due consideration of the interests of all of them in a manner following due process (albeit lengthy) enables decisions to be reached correctly and approved projects implemented soundly. One of the projects was rejected and did not proceed, while the other was approved and is going ahead. Full article

Kenya has a history of media censorship and citizen surveillance. The advent of social media is laudable for contributing to freedom of speech and accountability in Kenya. Studies show that WhatsApp, through its group formation affordance, has largely contributed to political participation in Kenya and beyond. Kenyans see it as a ”safe” place away from government surveillance, a carry-over of authoritarian rule. This is especially so since WhatsApp is considered as private media compared to other social media platforms. For instance, many political bloggers on Twitter and Facebook perceived to be anti-establishment have been arrested and charged, but only accountable arrests have been made in connection to WhatsApp activities despite government threats. This article argues that although actors, both human and non-human, act to construct a safe community for political participation on WhatsApp, modes of exclusion and inclusion arise from the socio-technological interaction which could pose a threat to the newly founded ”safe space”. Though the study site is in Kenya, this article grapples with issues other scholars of social media and politics grapple with globally, that is, safety, security, surveillance, and political participation, among others. Full article