Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Information And Higher Things In Life: Addressing The Pleasurable And The Profound In Information Science, Jarkko Kari, Jenna K. Hartel

Jenna Hartel

The article discusses lower and higher contexts for information phenomena, and argues that there is clearly a need for a more concerted research effort in the latter sphere. The discipline of information science has traditionally favored lower contexts—like everyday life and problem solving—that are neutral or even negative by nature. In contrast, the neglected higher things in life are pleasurable or profound phenomena, experiences, or activities that transcend the daily grind. A literature sample of the scarce information research related to higher things indicates that beyond the spotlight of mainstream research, information processes often seem different and there may be …