The Technological Culture Theme

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The Technological Culture Theme

• An Introduction

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Standard view of technology

• Technology versus Culture
• tools, apparatus, users, technicians,
• machines, non-humans people, consumers,
  values
• E.g. Neil Postman (1992)
• technologys intrusion into a culture
• tools that are not integrated into a culture
  but attack the culture
• the surrender of culture to technology

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Dominant perceptions of technology

• Technology as a passive instrument
• Technology is out-of-control
• Each technological possibility needs to be
  applied as soon as possible
• For each problem, a technical solution is readily
  available (technological fix)

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Paradox of Technological Culture

• Despite the fact that technology has become
  omnipresent in our daily lives, we perceive it as
  something that has nothing to do with our culture
  we dont see it anymore and do not appreciate
  its dominance in our culture

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Technology as Culture

• The term Technological Culture opposes the idea
  that technology and culture are contradictory
  terms (against standard view)
• It means that
• Technology and culture cannot be separated
• Technology is a cultural phenomenon

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What is a Technological Culture? (1)

• Technology is our milieu we are surrounded by
  technological aids, and in this sense we live in
  a technological culture.
• Technological change has become the dominant
  force in shaping the values, norms and
  expectations that together structure our thought,
  actions and social designs. In this sense Western
  culture is a technological culture.
• (Source Schwarz, 1993)

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What is a Technological Culture? (2)

• We live in a technological culture in a
  culture that is thoroughly influenced by modern
  science and technology. It is thus not easily
  possible to understand modern Western culture
  without taking into account the role of science
  and technology. (Bijker, 2001, p. 20)

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What is a Technological Culture? (3)

• The term technological culture means that
  technology is so integral to virtually every
  aspect of our culture that it becomes impossible
  to understand our culture without paying
  attention to technology
• Technological culture is
• The environment in which we live
• The way we think and behave
• The way society is organised
• The way we perceive and frame choices (about our
  future)

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What is a Technological Culture? (4)

• In sum
• Technology has an impact on culture, both with a
  capital C and in the anthropological sense
• There is, vice versa, a cultural impact on
  technology
• Technology and science are also cultures
  themselves

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Technological Culture as our unit of analysis

• Where to locate Technological Culture?
• In the technological artifacts we use (like
  computers, cars, buildings)
• In the artificiality of the environment in which
  we live (cities, shopping malls)
• In the norms and habits that have become
  incorporated in technologies (standardized
  decisions, forms, tests)
• .

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How to study Technological Culture (1)

• Emphasizing complexity
• Interdisciplinary approach (history, sociology,
  philosophy, literature and art, political
  science)
• Challenge dichotomies (esp. boundary between
  technology culture)
• Emphasis on context of technological change
• Technology shapes and is shaped by society

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How to study Technological Culture (2)

• Qualitative research
• Ethnographic fieldwork
• Historical research
• Conceptual analysis
• Interviewing
• Case studies

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TC in Maastricht (1)

• Faculty of Arts and Culture
• Two bachelor programmes
• European Studies
• Arts and Science
• 8 MA Programmes
• Five departments
• Technology and Society Studies
• Philosophy
• History
• Literature and Art
• Political sciences

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TC in Maastricht (2)

• Vulnerability of technological cultures (with
  links to politics of technology, history and
  sociology)
• Merging of STS, literature and art, resulting in
  a focus on art, technology and culture

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• Risks related to high-tech systems
• Theories about the mechanisms behind the
  occurrence of accidents (NAT, HROT, drift)

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Between science and art representations of the
human body
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Representations of science, scientists and
technology in literature, paintings and SF-movies
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Outline specialisation

• Aims of the TC specialisation
• To familiarize students with the Technological
  Culture theme and research topics studied at this
  faculty
• To bring students in contact with researchers of
  this institute
• To involve ESST students in on-going STS research
  at this faculty

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Outline specialisation

• Week 1
• The Technological Culture theme
• Lecture
• Seminar What is a Technological Culture?
• Prepare by reading the literature!

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Outline specialisation

• Week 2 3 Vulnerability of technological
  cultures
• (in cooperation with Dr. Ger Wackers)
• Week 3 Student presentations!

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Outline specialisation

• Week 4 5 Interactions between art, technology
  and culture
• (in cooperation with Dr. Jack Post and Dr.
  Bernike Pasveer)
• Week 4 Write a short essay
• Week 5 Student presentations!

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Outline specialisation

• Week 6 till June 7
• Roundtable meetings
• Goal to give each other feedback on the
  preparation of thesis outlines and thesis
  research
• Research diaries

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Internships

• IRV Hoensbroek Institute for rehabilitation
  research
• ICIS Maastricht International Centre for
  Integrative Studies
• Sappi Fine paper Europe factory, Maastricht

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TC in Maastricht

• Look at the ESST Maastricht website for more
  information on staff members
• http//www.esst.unimaas.nl/ESSTTC/
• Staff/ ScientificStaffFacultyofA.html
• and thesis topics
• http//www.esst.unimaas.nl/ESSTTC/Topics/ThesisTop
  ics.html

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Preparing for meetings

• See course book website www.esst.unimaas.nl
• Literature
• Reader
• University library
• You have to be present at 80 of the meetings

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Important dates

• April, 10 Submission final thesis outline
• Please note that your thesis outline will be
  graded (5 ECTS) by your supervisor
• August, 18 Submission thesis (Maastricht
  students)
• September, 1 Submission draft thesis
  (non-Maastricht students)
• October, 2 Deadline ESST thesis

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Contact information

• Anique Hommels
• a.hommels_at_tss.unimaas.nl
• [phone]
• Room E 1.06, Hof van Tilly (GG 90-92)