Suchergebnisse

Completing a pilgrimage has often been touted as a transformational experience. Yet, pilgrimage as an information context is sorely lacking in our field, despite the valuable insights it could provide into the complex information environments and evolving states of those who undertake pilgrimage. In this article, I examine a specific pilgrimage: the Hajj in Mecca (Saudi Arabia). Preparing for Hajj involves a series of stages encompassing material, spiritual, and informational dimensions. Using a qualitative and exploratory approach, this study applies the lens ofpilgrimage as 'lived religion' and makes explicit the detailed activities and outcomes of pilgriminformation practices, and the ways in which information in its multiple forms (textual, spiritual,corporeal, etc.) has mediated and shaped the pilgrims' journey. I build on established theoriesin information behavior and meaning-making in the context of everyday life, as well as theliterature on pilgrimage and pilgrimage as 'lived religion' to relate the participants' encounterwith Hajj and their experiences toward becoming a Hajji/-a (someone who has completed theHajj). Findings based on interviews with twelve (12) global Hajj goers suggest that pilgrims'information practices are varied, and transcend both individual (cognitive, affective) as well as social processes (through shared imaginaries and a translocal network of people and resources). The study illustrates the importance of examining diverse transformational experiences in LIS, and the rich contributions that our field can make to these research contexts.

Editorial

Researchers in information science and related fields have traditionally focused on published research and syntheses of research findings. While these mechanisms are crucial for knowledge dissemination, we advocate for more innovative knowledge translation and mobilization efforts. To illustrate this, we present a unique case study on the employment-seeking practices of immigrant women in STEM in Canada. This study stands out for its groundbreaking arts-based knowledge deliverables, including an animated film, a novel approach that was instrumental in our knowledge dissemination and translation efforts. We delve into the study, the rationale behind these deliverables, and the significance of this approach for information science professionals.

In this article, we examine the selfie-taking and sharing practices of Muslim pilgrims in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. We introduce the concept of the "holy selfie" (a selfie taken during either theHajj or the Umrah pilgrimages) and report on a visual content analysis of a sample of 100 holy selfies publicly available on social networking platforms. We seek to reach an understanding of the work that holy selfies do in the context of the expressions of spiritual and religious identity of those producing them. Our findings suggest that the embodied experience of pilgrims at the holy sites finds an expressive release through holy selfies, with many pilgrims viewing selfie-taking as an important part of their journey. The selfies (and associated features) capture and document pilgrims' experiences, contribute to their meaning-making, enable the sharing of memories with loved ones, and attract online followers. Our study provides a picture of how holy selfies blur the gender line (as many males as females take them), emerge despite the opposition of Saudi authorities, and serve as a means of engaging with a multiplicity of audiences. We seek to start a conceptual and methodological conversation about this emerging phenomenon of identity construction involving the use of new media along with the construction of affiliative identities among geographically dispersed communities of Muslim pilgrims. The taking of holy selfies can thus be read as a tactic used by 21st-century Muslims to create opportunities for self-representation and community building in a context of increasing Islamophobia.

Editorial