Research
I am interested in three related areas: 1.) information in serious leisure; 2.) ethnography; and 3.) the history and theory of information studies. (Click on these links for pages devoted to each topic.)
My academic career is organized around the question: What is the nature of information in the pleasures of life? I am investigating this matter through the concatenated study of serious leisure realms, which are crossroads of information and enjoyment. My empirical research explores the use and structure of leisure information on personal and social levels, and my dissertation is a case study of information phenomena in the hobby of gourmet cooking. I am a methodologist and practicing ethnographer with a particular interest in visual techniques. I take an interdisciplinary and international approach and maintain close ties with leisure studies and northern European information scholars. My goals are to generate basic knowledge about information in the pleasures of life; challenge existing ideas that have largely emerged from academic problem scenarios; establish positive models of organic, flourishing information environments; enliven classrooms with upbeat topics; and enrich the information experience for leisure enthusiasts.
My academic career is organized around the question: What is the nature of information in the pleasures of life? I am investigating this matter through the concatenated study of serious leisure realms, which are crossroads of information and enjoyment. My empirical research explores the use and structure of leisure information on personal and social levels, and my dissertation is a case study of information phenomena in the hobby of gourmet cooking. I am a methodologist and practicing ethnographer with a particular interest in visual techniques. I take an interdisciplinary and international approach and maintain close ties with leisure studies and northern European information scholars. My goals are to generate basic knowledge about information in the pleasures of life; challenge existing ideas that have largely emerged from academic problem scenarios; establish positive models of organic, flourishing information environments; enliven classrooms with upbeat topics; and enrich the information experience for leisure enthusiasts.
