Do Artifacts Have Politics
"Do artifacts have politics?"
Discuss Langdon Winner's question and give some examples.
Iva N. Ivanova ivai@ifi.uio.no First semester at UiO Word count: 2103
Introduction
The objective of this paper is to discuss Langdon Winners theory on the politics of technology. In his book "The Whale and the Reactor" Langdon Winner asks the question "Do artifacts have politics?". That question has provoked many to look for different dimensions of technology. Winner argues that technologies hold specific forms of power and authority and that they should be taken seriously as their own political phenomena. According to him technological innovations are similar to legislative acts or political foundings, which establish a framework for public order that will endure over many generations and for that reason careful attention should be paid to them (Winner 1986 p.29).
"Do Artifacts Have Politics?"
Technological innovation should not be seen as an autonomous force whose outputs are derived simply from a technical logic. In other words, technologies are socially shaped by human actors, institutional choices and political power (Sujatha Raman, 2003).
Winner's argues that the massive belief that, technology means just progress and improvement, should be corrected and we should look more closely to whether a given device might have been designed and built in such a way that it produces a set of consequences logically and temporally prior to any of its professed uses (Winner 1986 ). We can not expect that social problems should find a technological solution and even new emerging technologies in the area of sustainable development, that are now perceived as the main problem solver should be look upon critically. Technologies are not neutral instrument of social and economic progress but rather they have well defined political agendas.
Winner gives simple examples to prove his case, but though simple those examples are symbolic of the basic
Discuss Langdon Winner's question and give some examples.
Iva N. Ivanova ivai@ifi.uio.no First semester at UiO Word count: 2103
Introduction
The objective of this paper is to discuss Langdon Winners theory on the politics of technology. In his book "The Whale and the Reactor" Langdon Winner asks the question "Do artifacts have politics?". That question has provoked many to look for different dimensions of technology. Winner argues that technologies hold specific forms of power and authority and that they should be taken seriously as their own political phenomena. According to him technological innovations are similar to legislative acts or political foundings, which establish a framework for public order that will endure over many generations and for that reason careful attention should be paid to them (Winner 1986 p.29).
"Do Artifacts Have Politics?"
Technological innovation should not be seen as an autonomous force whose outputs are derived simply from a technical logic. In other words, technologies are socially shaped by human actors, institutional choices and political power (Sujatha Raman, 2003).
Winner's argues that the massive belief that, technology means just progress and improvement, should be corrected and we should look more closely to whether a given device might have been designed and built in such a way that it produces a set of consequences logically and temporally prior to any of its professed uses (Winner 1986 ). We can not expect that social problems should find a technological solution and even new emerging technologies in the area of sustainable development, that are now perceived as the main problem solver should be look upon critically. Technologies are not neutral instrument of social and economic progress but rather they have well defined political agendas.
Winner gives simple examples to prove his case, but though simple those examples are symbolic of the basic
References: Costantinou, M. (March 2002). Identity Politics Introna, Lucas D. and Nissenbaum, Helen (2000) Shaping the Web: Why the Politics of Search Engines Matters Joerges, B. (?) Do Politics Have Artefacts? Kozeluh, Dr. Ulrike (2002) Towards Democratic Renewal? Is the little e the better tool to overcome democracy`s classical paradoxa? Latour, Bruno (Domus June 2004) Which politics for which artifacts? Lovegren,J.(2004) Technology as Social Change: Mapping a Mass-Movement McCullagh,D. and Zarate,R. Scanning Tech a Blurry Picture Raman, Sujatha (2003) Technological Politics from a Socio-technical Approach: Human Tissue and its role in Conflicts over Biomedical Technology Sørensen, Knut H. (2002) Cultural Politics of Technology: Combining Critical and Constructive Interventions? Winner, L. (1986). The whale and the reactor: a search for limits in an age of high technology. Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 19-39.