article

Layers of Silence, Arenas of Voice: The Ecology ofVisible and Invisible Work

Authors:

Susan Leigh Star,

Anselm StraussAuthors Info & Claims

Computer Supported Cooperative Work, Volume 8, Issue 1-2

Pages 9 - 30

https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008651105359

Published: 01 February 1999 Publication History

Abstract

No work is inherently either visible or invisible. We always ’’see‘‘ work through a selection of indicators: straining muscles, finished artifacts, a changed state of affairs. The indicators change with context, and that context becomes a negotiation about the relationship between visible and invisible work. With shifts in industrial practice these negotiations require longer chains of inference and representation, and may become solely abstract.

This article provides a framework for analyzing invisible work in CSCW systems. We sample across a variety of kinds of work to enrich the understanding of how invisibility and visibility operate. Processes examined include creating a ’’non-person‘‘ in domestic work; disembedding background work; and going backstage. Understanding these processes may inform the design of CSCW systems and the development of related social theory.

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Index Terms

Layers of Silence, Arenas of Voice: The Ecology ofVisible and Invisible Work
1. Human-centered computing
  1. Collaborative and social computing
  2. Human computer interaction (HCI)
2. Social and professional topics

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Published In

cover image Computer Supported Cooperative Work

Computer Supported Cooperative Work Volume 8, Issue 1-2

Special issue: a web on the wind: the structure of invisible work

Feb. 1999

164 pages

ISSN:0925-9724

Editors:
Kjeld Schmidt
Technical Univ. of Denmark, Lyngby
,
Bonnie A. Nardi,
Yrjö Engeström

Issue’s Table of Contents

Copyright © Copyright © 1999 Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Publisher

Kluwer Academic Publishers

United States

Publication History

Published: 01 February 1999

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Cited By

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https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3663384.3663396
Jonas A(2024)'Not Just a Computer Screen:' Distributed Attunement in Virtual School EnvironmentsProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36410128:CSCW1(1-27)Online publication date: 26-Apr-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3641012
Borsotti VBegel ABjørn P(2024)Neurodiversity and the Accessible University: Exploring Organizational Barriers, Access Labor and Opportunities for ChangeProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36410118:CSCW1(1-27)Online publication date: 26-Apr-2024
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Ming JGong DNgai CSterling MVashistha ADell N(2024)Wage Theft and Technology in the Home Care ContextProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36374288:CSCW1(1-30)Online publication date: 26-Apr-2024
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