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AI Research
arXiv CS.AI·Jun 10·5 min read
Aesthetic Perspectives in Information Systems Research: A Hermeneutic Analysis
TL;DR
Information Systems (IS) research often overlooks implicit aesthetic perspectives that shape what is considered worthy of study. A hermeneutic literature analysis identified four aesthetic perspectives—imitation, sensory experience, world-making, and political doing—that influence IS scholarship.
✦ Why It Matters
Engineers and researchers can leverage aesthetic perspectives to identify new research opportunities and enhance their understanding of sociotechnical systems.
Key Takeaways
- Explore aesthetic assumptions in your research framework.
- Identify overlooked areas in sociotechnical phenomena.
- Apply aesthetic perspectives to algorithmic management studies.
- Use the framework to generate new research questions.
Full Summary
Implicit aesthetic perspectives play a crucial role in determining the focus of Information Systems (IS) research. This study employs a hermeneutic literature analysis to uncover foundational aesthetic assumptions that guide scholars in their understanding of sociotechnical phenomena.
The authors identify four key perspectives: aesthetics as imitation, sensory experience, world-making, and political doing. These perspectives not only influence what is recognized as legitimate research but also what remains unexamined.
By making these aesthetic assumptions explicit, the authors demonstrate how they form an epistemic infrastructure that shapes research horizons. The framework is applied to areas like algorithmic management and digitally mediated intimacy, revealing new research questions and dimensions that traditional views often overlook.
This analysis emphasizes the importance of aesthetic philosophy in IS literature, providing a vocabulary for discussing how aesthetics impact theorizing and methodology.