Mechanical Dreams: Democracy and Technological Discourse in Twentieth-Century France

Abstract

Abstract: Built on Winner (Do artifacts have politics). Though problems of unilinearity of perspective, and perhaps overguessing prescience of social actors, "nonetheless, these approaches often elegantly open the technological black box, arguing that the internal technical characteristics of technological artifacts are set in some detail by external forces. Equally important, they show how historical actors invent idealized futures and plot social routes toward them." (54) [describes Bijker's position on artifacts and importance of social to materiality - process of "closure." criticizes the Bijker is overly socially deterministic because doesn't allow for play of the material - and no mechanism for unpacking negotiation of meaning. Reviews Latour - suggests is too agency-centric, ignores social, ideological, political structures. [relate to SSA] - Madeleine Akrich "has correctly argued that inventors prescribe (or pre-script) te meanings of artifacts and socio-technical processes within design themselves. Receipients must therefore negotiate their own future scripts against those pre-scripted n pecific artifacts. This discursive process affects both the meaning of the artifact and the self-identity of the perceiver. The flexibility of an artifact's built-in pre-scription hels determine its ability to adapt to different and changing circumstances. . . . Non-negotiable pre-scriptions or unilateral inventions are less apt to be socially assimilated because they are inherently less adaptable." (57). [for comm audience - would want to demonstrate how SST can frame another approach to technology - for, e.g., CSMC. For tech audience, can explore controbution that could be made by attention to communication] Argues for theory of "technological narratives" - examine how "promulgators and recipients" negotiate both the material and meaning of artifacts. moves back out of box in terms of examining relationship between social actors and artifacts, but doesn't really close the black box. Instead, "it allows the relevant actors themselves to open the box - to define which issues are relevant." (59). - e.g., contradication, between messages/appearances of functionalism and actual lack of functionality. Some boxes kept closed intentionally - e.g., those representing skills. Some boxes closed because closure of meaning - [ be sure to read Bijker on this]. Some closed because not recognized (i.e., nothing arose otmake it an issue). [Comm and the study of technological artifacts] [cite of this book to both Bryan and Chantal] [what is a "social meliorist"?]