技术作为一种文化与社会建构

Technology as a Cultural and Social Construction

白馥兰的研究强调在"社会-技术体系"的象征维度和现象学维度,技术所承担的最重要的工作便是产出人以及建构人与人之间的关系。另外,由"技术作为文化"这一基本观念延伸出去,可以进一步区分出"技术景观"和"技术文化"两个略有差异却又无法分开的概念。技术景观指带有技能含量的异质性的物质性实践和人工物,技术文化则是关乎这些技术问题的思想理念,如动用不同类别的技术活动能带来怎样的力量,如何使用技术、是否应该使用技术、使用或者不使用技术要达到怎样的最终目的,技术效果的本质和重要性何在等。在一定程度上可以说,前者为后者提供产生的条件,后者为前者凝聚资源,并渗透到前者的再生产与发展中。

Francesca Bray,whose research emphasizes the symbolic dimension and phenomenological dimension in 'the social-technological system',believes that the most important task of technology is to people and the relationship between people.In addition,extending the basic concept of 'technology as culture',we can further distinguish the two concepts of 'technology landscape' and 'technology culture',which are slightly different but cannot be separated.Technology landscape refers to the heterogeneous material practices and artifacts with skill content and technology culture refers to the ideological concepts related to these technological problems such as what kind of power can be brought about by different technological activities,how to use technology,whether technology should be used,what ultimate purpose to achieve through using or not using technology,what is the essence and significance of technological effects,etc.To some extent,it can be said that technology landscape provides the conditions for the formation of technology culture,while the latter resources for the former and penetrates into the reproduction and development of the former.