基础设施、边界对象与科学技术研究的人类学路径

Infrastructure,Boundary Objects and the Anthropological Path of STS

近年来,媒介与传播研究呈现出明显的基础设施转向。在基础设施研究的多种路径中,科学技术研究的人类学路径以社会学与现象学观察为基础设施研究提供了一套概念与方法。其中苏珊·雷伊·斯塔尔等人的一系列研究,不仅界定了基础设施,更采用多个明晰的分析框架对信息基础设施进行案例研究,成为基础设施研究中必须要重复的判断。承袭科学技术研究将物视为行动者的研究传统,斯塔尔是在技术、基础设施与组织变革三者关系的基础上考虑基础设施问题的,而对“边界对象”的研究则发展了行动者网络理论的观念。基础设施与边界对象相融合,共同指向了背后不可见的人类工作。

In recent years,media and communication research has shown an obvious infrastructure turn.Among the various paths of media infrastructure research,the sociological and phenomenological observation of the anthropological path of STS provides a set of concepts and methods for infrastructure research.Among them,a series of studies by Susan Leigh Star not only define the infrastructure,but also use multiple clear analysis frameworks to conduct case studies on the infrastructure,which has become a judgment that must be repeated in the infrastructure research.Following the research tradition of regarding objects as actors in STS,Star considered infrastructure issues on the basis of the relationship among technology,infrastructure and organizational change,while the research on“boundary objects”developed the concept of ANT.The integration of infrastructure and boundary objects points to the invisible human work behind them.