SOCY 284 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Machismo, Wiebe Bijker, Strong Programme
22 Jan 2018
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Document Summary
Strengths: understanding counterintuitive/odd patterns of development and adoption. Not good at understanding how technology pushes back. Claims to be material-semiotic (but focuses mostly in meaning than materiality) Core assumption: one and the same technology can have radically different meanings to different social groups**** Impartial with respect to truth and falsity, rationality to irrationality, success or failure both sides require explanation. Symmetrical in its style of explanation the same types of cases would explain i. e. true and false beliefs. Scienti c facts emerge when controversies are closed (consensus formation) Privileging social explanations, mostly interest based explanations. Economic and historical theories" shortcomings are their: Asymmetrical explanations of successful and a eld technologies. Success and failure have to be explained with the same factors. Success of technology depends on social groups relevant to a technology, and the strngh of these groups. Technological development not as on shot invention, but as a process of negotiation between competing/con icting meaning.
