Technology is Socially Shaped - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages... This essay stresses that one of the main theories ascribed to society and technology is the one that explains how technology has been socially constructed. It is argued that human actions are not determined by technology but that the actions taken by human beings are the ones that shape the technology, and that technological approaches can never be understood unless they are viewed from the social aspect. The same theory presents technology as a result of social interactions between actors and social groups. It was also argued that technology could emerge as a result of previous versions of technology whereby a more advanced version is introduced based on scientific findings. One of its core concepts is the freedom of interpretation whereby different artefacts have different meanings and are meant for different groups.
This paper makes a conclusion that technology does not have its own path to follow but has to depend on social factors to shape it. According to the scholars, technology is seen as an integral part of the society and not as a single entity from external forces and that the users of the artefacts can modify to suit their needs. However, several authors have come out to criticize some of these theories. In contrast to the Social Shaping Theory, it goes ahead to argue that there is nothing referred to as a society. It cites that a society emerges when people get a chance to socialize with each other, but it is only a matter of time before these people start to behave differently, leading to a different kind of society. ...Download file to see next pagesRead More