A Contextualising, Socio-technical Definition of Technology: Learning from Ancient Greece and Foucault
The task of defining technology has had an unhappy history. It seems that agreement about what technology is—and even if a definition should be sought at all—has not been reached. This article argues that a definition is possible and should be sought. The etymology of the word technology suggests th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Pluto Journals
1997-11-01
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| Series: | Prometheus |
| Online Access: | https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.1080/08109029708632084 |
| _version_ | 1797730198350725120 |
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| author | DAVID ROONEY |
| author_facet | DAVID ROONEY |
| author_sort | DAVID ROONEY |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The task of defining technology has had an unhappy history. It seems that agreement about what technology is—and even if a definition should be sought at all—has not been reached. This article argues that a definition is possible and should be sought. The etymology of the word technology suggests that it has long had a socio-technical meaning and, furthermore, Foucault's definition of four types of technologies suggests a framework in which a socio-technical definition of technology can be usefully detailed. In this case the definition helps to provide a broad and deeply contextual understanding of what technology is (in its tangible and intangible forms), the processes which it influences and the processes which influence it. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T11:40:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-91820e9c5b914f2f8479a160d45d24dc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0810-9028 1470-1030 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T11:40:41Z |
| publishDate | 1997-11-01 |
| publisher | Pluto Journals |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Prometheus |
| spelling | doaj.art-91820e9c5b914f2f8479a160d45d24dc2023-08-31T16:00:36ZengPluto JournalsPrometheus0810-90281470-10301997-11-0115339940710.1080/08109029708632084A Contextualising, Socio-technical Definition of Technology: Learning from Ancient Greece and FoucaultDAVID ROONEYThe task of defining technology has had an unhappy history. It seems that agreement about what technology is—and even if a definition should be sought at all—has not been reached. This article argues that a definition is possible and should be sought. The etymology of the word technology suggests that it has long had a socio-technical meaning and, furthermore, Foucault's definition of four types of technologies suggests a framework in which a socio-technical definition of technology can be usefully detailed. In this case the definition helps to provide a broad and deeply contextual understanding of what technology is (in its tangible and intangible forms), the processes which it influences and the processes which influence it.https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.1080/08109029708632084 |
| spellingShingle | DAVID ROONEY A Contextualising, Socio-technical Definition of Technology: Learning from Ancient Greece and Foucault Prometheus |
| title | A Contextualising, Socio-technical Definition of Technology: Learning from Ancient Greece and Foucault |
| title_full | A Contextualising, Socio-technical Definition of Technology: Learning from Ancient Greece and Foucault |
| title_fullStr | A Contextualising, Socio-technical Definition of Technology: Learning from Ancient Greece and Foucault |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Contextualising, Socio-technical Definition of Technology: Learning from Ancient Greece and Foucault |
| title_short | A Contextualising, Socio-technical Definition of Technology: Learning from Ancient Greece and Foucault |
| title_sort | contextualising socio technical definition of technology learning from ancient greece and foucault |
| url | https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.1080/08109029708632084 |
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