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Abstract
Information phenomena and behaviors underlie every aspect of contemporary life, including spiritual/religious experiences. Pilgrimage as an information context provides insights into the nature of information and knowledge in the lives of individuals undergoing such transformational experiences. Findings based on interviews with twelve Hajj pilgrims suggest that their information practices are varied and transcend both individual (cognitive, affective) and social processes (through shared imaginaries and a wide network of people and resources). As pilgrims prepare for and complete the rituals, then return home, they make use of a range of coping strategies from triangulation and validation to information avoidance. Examining the information strategies of Hajj pilgrims provide us with insights into their processes of negotiating meaning in shifting and unknown contexts.
Contributor Notes
Nadia Caidi is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Information, University of Toronto, Canada. Her research focuses on human information behavior, the societal implications of information and communication technologies (ICTs), and information policy. Her current research is situated in the context of global migration and the role that information resources, institutions, and technologies play in the everyday lives of migrant and displaced communities. Caidi was president of the Canadian Association for Information Science (2011) and the 2016 president of the international Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T). E-mail: nadia.caidi@utoronto.ca