International Journal of Actor-Network Theory and Technological Innovation, 4(4), 1-22, October-December 2012 1
Copyright © 2012, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited.
Keywords: Actor-Network Theory, Climate Information Use, Dynamic Actor-Network Analysis (DANA),
Fars Province, Wheat Growers
INTRODUCTION
Climate information has become recognized as
a basic production factor affecting agricultural
systems (Harrison & Williams, 2007). This is
while, despite significant improvements in
the climatic information production in the last
decade (Subbiah et al., 2004; Ziervogel et al.,
2005; Hu et al., 2006; Artikov et al., 2006),
farmers as focal decision makers of farm sys-
tems and main users of uncertain Agricultural
Climate Information (ACI), have not altered
management decisions to take advantage of
this type of information (Articov et al., 2006;
Hu et al., 2006; Nazemos’sadat et al., 2006).
The Iranian Wheat Growers’
Climate Information Use:
An Actor-Network Theory Perspective
Maryam Sharifzadeh, Yasouj University, Yasouj, Iran
Gholam Hossein Zamani, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
Ezatollah Karami, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
Davar Khalili, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
Arthur Tatnall, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia
ABSTRACT
This research project employed an interdisciplinary attempt to study agricultural climate information use,
linking sociology of translation (actor-network theory) and actor analysis premises in a qualitative research
design. The research method used case study approaches and purposively selected a sample consisting of
wheat growers of the Fars province of Iran, who are known as contact farmers. Concepts from actor-network
theory (ANT) have been found to provide a useful perspective on the description and analysis of the cases.
The data were analyzed using a combination of an actor-network theory (ANT) framework and the dynamic
actor-network analysis (DANA) model. The fndings revealed socio political (farmers’ awareness, motiva-
tion, and trust), and information processing factors (accuracy of information, access to information, and
correspondence of information to farmers’ condition) as the key elements in facilitating climate information
use in farming practices.
DOI: 10.4018/jantti.2012100101