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The position fields of technology: a role-theoretical approach to socio-technical networks
[working paper]
Corporate Editor
Technische Universität Berlin, Fak. VI Planen, Bauen, Umwelt, Institut für Soziologie Fachgebiet Technik- und Innovationssoziologie
Abstract This article builds on the idea of actor-network theory to use role terminology for describing the heterogeneous associations that make up technological innovations. Referring to key concepts of sociological role theory it proposes a more elaborate role-theoretical approach to socio-technical networ... view more
This article builds on the idea of actor-network theory to use role terminology for describing the heterogeneous associations that make up technological innovations. Referring to key concepts of sociological role theory it proposes a more elaborate role-theoretical approach to socio-technical networks. It is argued that technological innovations consist of fields of positions to be occupied by human actors or techno-logical artifacts. Network-building thus is viewed as a process of establishing sets of interrelated positions. Consequently, actors and objects are relevant only in their
capacity as occupants of positions. The role-theoretical approach draws attention to the fact that the human and nonhuman components of a technological innovation may hold several positions within the socio-technical network and may play functional and social roles at the same time. The conceptual approach is illustrated with two examples from the history of the automobile: the chauffeur problem and the invention of the jaywalker.... view less
Keywords
innovation; technical development; role; theory; expectation; sociotechnical system; network; actor-network-theory; social position
Classification
Sociology of Science, Sociology of Technology, Research on Science and Technology
Document language
German
Publication Year
2016
City
Berlin
Page/Pages
27 p.
Series
TUTS - Working Papers, 2-2016
Status
Primary Publication; reviewed
Licence
Creative Commons - Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works