How is technology made? - That is the question!

W.E. Bijker*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

This article reviews constructivist technology studies, and especially the social construction of technology (SCOT). To investigate how these constructivist studies regard the ontology of technology, I will trace their historical development in units of analysis, methodological approaches and research questions. Constructivist technology studies are relativistic in only one sense: methodological. They are agnostic with respect to the ontology of technology. Constructivist studies of technology thus do not primarily answer the question 'what is technology?'; they trace the process 'how to make technology'.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)63-76
Number of pages14
JournalCambridge Journal of Economics
Volume34
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2010

Keywords

  • ARTIFACTS
  • DEMOCRACY
  • IDENTITY
  • Idealism
  • O30
  • O31
  • O33
  • Ontology
  • Realism
  • Relativism
  • SCIENCE
  • SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION
  • Social construction
  • Technological culture
  • Technological frame
  • Technology

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