Technology

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Technology is knowledge embedded in products and processes, and it is also the products and processes themselves. Hart-Davidson (1997) defines technology as the set of artefacts and the sets of cultural beliefs, practices, and texts that surround the production, use, distribution, and conceptualizations of those artefacts, designed to produce some cultural condition. The relationship between culture, society and technology has been studied within the philosophy of technology. The following three perspectives on technology have been proposed:

  1. Instrumental perspective argues that technology is neutral and indifferent to the variety of ends towards which it can be employed.

  2. Substantive perspective argues that technology constitutes a new type of cultural system that restructures the entire social world as an object of control.

  3. Critical perspective suggests that technology is a rational process of development that is neutral per se but becomes value- and ideology-laden in the design, implementation and use of technical systems.

The instrumental position on technology assumes its universally rational character, employment of a common standard of measurement (e.g., efficiency), which is independent of producers, users and situations. Pacey argues that technology proceeds separately from cultures, values and societies (Pacey 1992). This perspective has been characterized as uncritically positive and self-limiting. It has been contrasted with a substantive theory according to which technology constitutes a new type of cultural system that restructures the entire social world.

In the view of substantive theory, computer technology is seen as the culmination of a variety of cultural and ideological forces which, depending on the context in which the technology is used can be either positive or negative. The substantive position is interesting because it attempts to integrate both negative and positive viewpoints on technology. It suggests that technology has become the defining characteristic of all modern societies regardless of political ideology. It is autonomous and—as Heidegger argues—it is relentlessly overtaking us (Heidegger, 1977, p. 17).

Feenberg advocates a critical theory in which technology is a process of development suspended between different possibilities—a process in which social values and ideas are attributed in the design and development, and not merely the use of technical systems (Feenberg, 1991, p. 14). The two tenets of the critical theory are that (1) technology may be used to advance and enrich social objectives, and (2) technology cannot be seen as separate from people.

We can now observe that each of the three theories of technology leads to different perspectives on the design and development of software technology.

  1. Instrumental perspective posits that system design and development can be done in isolation of the users and their situation.

  2. Substantive perspective posits that system design and development can be for the betterment of the users leading to new social and cultural values and systems.

  3. Critical perspective posits that system design and development is never neutral and can be used to propagate and infirm social and cultural values and systems.



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Advanced Topics in Global Information Management (Vol. 3)
Trust in Knowledge Management and Systems in Organizations
ISBN: 1591402204
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 207

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