Technology is Socially Shaped - Coursework Example

Technology is Socially Shaped Table of Contents Introduction 3 Discussion 3 Conclusion 9 References 10 Introduction Technology plays a major role in the changing process of the society. It has been observed and recorded by advocates that human actions shape technology. Sociologists of science and historians have found a relationship about technological and scientific progress infused with values. In course of technological process new standards and a new technology of individuality have stretched over society, which is different from those that initiated the demonstration of technology. According to Robin A. Williams, Social shaping of technology is the idea of choices that inherent in both the design of systems and individual artefacts towards the development of innovation programs. Technology has the ability to enhance or destroy human capacities for enjoyment, achievement, well-being and likes of people using it. According the argument provided by Heidegger; “As long as people believe technology as an instrument, they remain caught up in the will to mastery.” Based on the statement he argued that the will to master technology can lead people to destruction because technology would be impossible to control once it is in the scope of every person. This essay addresses the claims against social construction of technology and explains the use of social shaping perspectives in organizational implications of technological change. Discussion There are mainly two attitudes that stress human capacity to shape technology. First of all, the rationalistic attitude explains that technology enhances due to social changes. Scientists and engineers believe that technology is neutral in terms of values because it is developed by people and technologically advanced tools are operated on the basis of the programs developed by people (Orlinkowski, 1992, p.12). The most important reason for the advancement of technology is the requirement that is generated by the society. The second attitude that emphasizes the thought of technology being shaped by society is the sociology of technology (Cockburn, 1992, p.15). Social construction of technology is an important variant that leads to the advancement of technology. Historians and modern researchers believe that technology is autonomous because it has the potential to take-over the natural behaviour of people. In the 18th and the 19th centuries, due to lack of advanced technology most of the works were performed by the people themselves. In the 21st century most of the works are performed with the use of technology (Wolonger, 1996, p.3). Complex calculations and company records are stored in computers and technologically advanced machines are used to perform the work of labours. Undoubtedly the advancement of technology has reduced the effort of people but it has reduced the working ability of people. Technology is believed to be as a means to an end; i.e. the approach of technology is completely instrumental (Coiera, 2004, p.39). Technology is mostly like fate but it is in the hands of the human society to choose or refuse the fate. There are no forces or social dynamics that can be predicted and corrected in fact only individual behaviour can predict the implications of technology (Wajcman, 2009, p.16). For example, rise of terrorist activities is due to the access to advanced technology to a group of anti-social people but the same technology has been found to be useful during natural disasters and medical science. Hence the use of technology is completely based on the way it is used by people (Fairclough, 1993, p.5). The book of Paul N. Edwards ‘The Closed World: Computers and the Politics of Discourse in Cold War America’ depicts the strong relationships between the computer designs era and the political discourse of the cold war. The book explains how technology arise however it ignored the consequences of technology. In the year 1993, Langdon Winner published his book ‘Upon Opening the Black Box and Finding it Empty’ (Mackay, 1992, p.11). In this book Winner examined interests and social groups that contributed towards construction of technology. This book provides the perfect example of the claim regarding the shaping of technology from society. The book also describes about the social constructivism and the impacts of the Philosophy of technology (Doi, 1997, p.7). The book mentions about the requirement of technology by the society in order to fulfil their immediate choices, needs, interests, solutions and problems. From decades technology has helped the society to enhance their ability and stay in comfortable zone. Technologically advanced machines have been incorporated in organizations in order to obtain maximum output. Historians and researchers however argue that technology has possible deeper intellectual, cultural or economic origins and it does not give society the choice to select the cultural origins (Schwartz, 1999, p.25). People have arguments against the advancement of technology because it has been changing rapidly in the modern world and the more people use technology the more they are prone to it. Advancement of technology has also reduced the social unions and activities because people do-not want to get out of their comfort zone and face the hardships of the society. According to critics the book of Langdon, Winner avoids passing judgements on relative merits of any alternative analysis of a technology. This indifference makes the book unhelpful for researchers in order to address important debates about the stand of technology in the human society (Button, 1992, p.12). The advancements of technology are therefore believed to be dangerous for social developments of the society by some researchers (Wajcman, 2000, p.3). Despite the arguments against technology, there are certain uses of technology that cannot be overlooked. Experimental science has changed the notion people had towards life and nature previously (Selwyn, 2004, p.15). With the help of experimental science nature has become artifice because science has provided people the ability to understand the natural phenomenon that created people. Hence, science also has the ability to provide solutions regarding problems that occur in the life of people regularly. For example, development of medicines and antibodies against deadly diseases has become possible with the help of medicinal science. Scientists are able to provide accurate compositions for manufacturing medicines with the help of medical science and technologically improved tools (Wajcman, 2002, p.19). The understanding of life and nature has also helped the scientists for progression in different sectors for development of mankind. The claim about technology is socially shaped is also referred as the social construction of technology and it explains that technology does not decide human actions rather human actions determine technology (Faulkner, 2001, p.54). In contrast some researchers have provided some examples regarding the technological determination. It is not enough to regard best research for success of technology. It is also essential to understand that advancement of technology occurs with the need of change in the society (Dautenhann, 2004, p.22). People demand for technical advancements in order to fulfil their needs related to pharmacy, education, personal items etc. The demand of technologically advanced products forces scientists and researchers to implement new ideas and it leads to production of technologically advanced items. Technology has determinate impacts on economic life, work and upon society hence change associated with technology is also responsible for social and organizational change (Chandler, 1995, p.15). The direction of change and nature of technologies are pre-determined. Since technology is widely used in organizations hence it has a very determinate effect on organizational developments. Since the early 20th century, technologically advanced machines have been incorporated for better production (Pfaffenberger, 1988, p.17). Industries have always been the first place to implement technology in their work. In the modern world usage of computers and common however it was not the same during 1960s (Galleries, 2000, p.16). This shows that advancement of technology is directly proportion to the change in working pattern of organizations. The social shaping perspective of technology has drawn a range of academic traditions. These share some logical concerns and also a crucial point of view (Lawson, 2007, p.9). Historians and researchers have performed some researches on some organizations to obtain the outcome of social shaping perspective of technology. The research helps in understanding the ways in which institutional, economic, social and cultural factors have shaped the rate of innovation as well as the direction. The research also provides clear understanding about the form of technology, i.e. the form of practices and artefacts (Pourt, 1996, p.11). Based on the research it was observed that there are various factors due to which the social shaping perspective of technology has direct implication on social and organizational technological changes (Webster, 2002, p.15). From the research conducted by experts it was clear that the private and public organizations incorporated technologically advanced machines in their organizations instead of employing skilled labours because it was profitable (Coiera, 2000, p.19). In the modern world organizations prefer to use technology over human effort because it helps them obtaining maximum output. Use of technology has become easier and with the use of technology accurate information can be obtained, which is beneficial for any organization (Billett, 2006, p.4). After the research was conducted it was also observed that the outcomes of technological change for different groups in the society had also been shaped. According to historians and researchers, it has been observed that during the implementation of technologies within organizations, technology and organization cannot be treated as two different categories (Touminen, 2005, p.12). The mutual relationship between technology and organization becomes more apparent during the process. Technologically advanced equipments are essential for use of labours in the organizations because they allow labours to work under less-hazard circumstances. Apart from organizations, technology is also useful for the society because it helps in organizing several works quickly (Warren, 1995, p.16). The circumstances that gave rise to social shaping of technology constitute a developmental stage that is contradictory in many ways. It is significant that social shaping of technology themes and insights are becoming incorporated within however the phase may be leading to a period of differentiation (Scolve, 1995, p.9). It has been constantly observed that some writers argue in the favour of the changing phase of technology while others strictly oppose it. Some management and industrial policy makers also respond to the force of criticism of traditional forces with their high emphasis on supply of technologies and contribution to the advance of technical knowledge (Jewitt, 2006, p.12). It can be clearly understood from the following that social shaping of technology has led to implications of social and organizational technological changes. “The economic and sociological accounts of innovation has led to re-conceptualisation of markets and made them socially constructed” (Wajcman, 2013, p.4) This shows that due to implementation of technology several advancements have been recorded in the society and the social shaping of technology has allowed several claims for technology with social shaping. The new relationships with other social shaping of technology along with other disciplines have led to broader questioning of traditional boundaries (Grint, 1995, p.7). The tensions between different approaches towards the methodologies and relative emphasis on the fluidity and negotiability of technology provide correct social embodied relationships. The factors greatly provide emphasis on the social shaping perspectives on social implications of technological changes (Dakers, 2005, p.31). Conclusion Based on the above discussion it is clear that social construction of technology is an important factor and it leads to several innovation programs. Technology does not appear from the relating of predetermined reason of single determinant. Innovation is the main path for technological advancements. According to modern scientists technology follows its own developmental process and it shapes its own innovation choices. Advancement of technology occurs due to social requirements and it has a direct relevance with the social changes that emerges in the society. It has been observed that researchers have been shifting their focus with the help of insights of society in order to explore the change process. With respect to the organizational advancements it has been observed that change at the organization level occurs for high quality results. From the historical times technology has been implemented on a huge scale and incorporation of technically advanced equipments have resulted in high profit generation. Thus the comments from Wendy Faulkner regarding the success of social shaping of technology prove that the social shaping perspectives of technology help to understand the organizational and social implications of technological changes. References Billett, S., 2006. Relational interdependence between social and individual agency in work and working life. Mind, culture and activity, 6(2), p.4. 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