Cultural Values and Social Choice of Technology
In: International social science journal: ISSJ, Band 33, Heft 3, S. 447-465
ISSN: 0020-8701
Both cultural & technological determinism are considered inappropriate for analyzing the relationships between technology, values, & social change, because they prevent close examination of opposing interests & specific strategies of social groups involved in introduction of new technology. Regarding choice of new technology, values function to delimit the range of possible alternatives, while more immediate interests may strongly influence final decision making. Successful implementation of technological innovations will in part depend on the latter's compatibility with strongly valued social practices. The impact of new technology on values should be seen as mediated by changes it may bring about in the concrete social relations affected. In this context, a distinction is made between specific & diffuse technologies. In the case of specific technology, articulation of different interests is mostly rather clear; assessment of the impact of diffuse technology on both social relations & cultural values is more difficult. Technological innovation of the latter kind provides new behavioral alternatives for some groups, while limiting those of others. The consequent emergence of new patterns of social practices may in turn lead to a change in attitudes & values. AA.