The action in information: between mathematical theory and the actor-network theory

• Autor(a) principal: Nhacuongue, Januário Albino
• Data de Publicação: 2020
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Informação & Informação
• Texto Completo: https://ojs.uel.br/revistas/uel/index.php/informacao/article/view/38342
• topic: Information science; Mathematical theory of communication; ActorNetwork Theory; Technology.; Ciencia de la información; Teoría matemática de la comunicación; Teoría del actor-red; Tecnología; Ciência da Informação; Teoria matemática de comunicação; Teoria ator-rede; Tecnologia

Introduction: The work reflects on the object of Information Science, highlighting its positivist influence, as well as its meaning in information theory and actor-network theory.Objective: to analyze the conceptual and pragmatic contribution of the mathematical theory of communication and the actor-network theory in the conception of the Information Science object.Methodology: this is a qualitative study whose design is based on bibliographic research. The discussion is centered on the mathematical communication theory of Shannon and Weaver, who accompanied the development of Information Science, and on the proposals of the actor-network theory method, by Bruno Latour, for the understanding of the multidisciplinary and technological intersections of the field.Results: the theoretical-conceptual, pragmatic contribution of the mathematical theory of communication in the development of Information Science stands out. The concept of quantitative information in information theory establishes a reductionist causality, which does not allow to absorb the complexity of communication. Along with some critical theories of communication, the actor-network theory presents itself as an alternative for the ontological understanding of information and the respective transformations.Conclusions: the work assume that the information object, from Information Science, belongs to the social category, not as a finished and immutable thing, but as a set of associative interactions of different human and non-human mediating agents. These agents contribute to mediation, interpretation, and meaning of information. Therefore, they must be mapped by the information science reports.