Technology Studies

Technology, in its current usage, can most simply be understood to have three components: artifacts, practices, and knowledge. Artifacts are the material objects that exist in the world. Practices are the methods and techniques used to interact with artifacts and knowledge represents the underlying theoretical and conceptual paradigms that influence technology in different cultural contexts. Using these components as the framework, this four volume major work traces the intellectual, scholarly, and public evolution of technology studies and ultimately questions whether technologies are truly autonomous within the societies they inhabit and whether or not technological changes drive social changes. Rayvon David Fouch presents the evolving conceptualizations of technology to understand the ways in which technology has shaped global society.

Technology Studies is part of the Key Issues ...

Editor's Introduction

RayvonFouché

Technology is a defining component of modern society. Everywhere we look, technology mediates our existence. From the various time-keeping devices that wake us up in the morning, to the multiple forms of transportation systems that daily move people from one location to another, to data networks that support global communications, our interactions with technology are common. Yet, our experiences with technology are far from routine. Much effort and energy has gone into envisioning, creating, designing, manufacturing, and distributing the technology that inhabits our world. But like the development of any network or system that has global implications, questions about its effects on the human condition will be generated. Often these questions, instead of being investigated, are pushed aside in the never-ending quest for ...

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