技术创新的社会文化功能解析

Analysis of Socio-cultural Function of Technological Innovation

技术创新作为一种整合科学、技术、知识与经济等要素的人类实践活动,不但在社会经济系统的变迁上显示了积极的推动作用,而且通过其特有的活动方式作用于社会文化系统,改变着社会物质文化、制度文化、精神文化的面貌。根据默顿的显功能和潜功能的划分,透过技术创新的文化视野,对技术创新所具有的丰富社会文化内涵、实现文化创新的显功能,消解社会文化边界的正面潜功能,引发社会文化危机的负面潜功能进行了全面解析,不但有利于全面认识技术创新的功能作用,而且对建立一种新的技术创新文化观也具有重要意义。

Technological innovation as a practical human activity integrating such factors as science, technology, knowledge and economy together, plays a positive promoting role in changing not only the socio-economic system but also the socio-cultural system through its distinctive activities to change the social features covering material culture, system culture and spiritual culture. According to the division of explicit and implicit functions by Merton and seeing the technological innovation in a cultural perspective, the abundant socio-cultural connotation arising from technological innovation is analyzed, including how to realize the explicit function of cultural innovation and digest the positive implicit function to get rid of the socic-cultural boundaries. Especially, the socio-cultural crisis caused by the negative implicit function is further analyzed. These analyses are not only helpful to all-sidedly recognize the social functions of technological innovation, but also is of significance to forming a new viewpoint of technological innovation culture.