Analysis of “The New Technopolitics of Development and the Global South as a Laboratory of Technological Experimentation” Technological Determinism is one of the three major theories on science and technology studied in Science and Technology Studies. The other two are Social Construction of Technology, and Actor-Network/Assemblage Theory. This essay will focus on Technological Determinism, and analyze Adam Moe Fejerskov’s article “The New Technopolitics of Development and the Global South as a Laboratory of Technological Experimentation” published in 2017 in Sage journals’ Science, Technology, & Human Values. In this article, Fejerskov’s claims that experimentalist technology aspiration influences human life and relations in the Global South,
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Fejerskov provides plentiful evidence as to why his argument relates to Technology and Epistemic Determinism. He recognizes the historical determinism and linear progression of engineering on society development, emphasizes contemporary technopolitical artifacts, in the form of live global laboratories, as being independent of societal influence, and highlights how the technology’s undesirable consequences affect societies. Fejerskov’s article articulates Technological and Epistemic Determinism’s perspective. In “Epistemic and Technological Determinism in Development Aid,” Jan Cherlet defines epistemic determinism as “the two-footed ideology that knowledge is an immaterial good whose production is independent of the social context, and this immaterial good can be transferred, without much effort, to another social context where it will have meanings and effects similar to those in the original social context” (776). This ideology is evident in Fejerskov’s …show more content…
This essay placed the focus on Technological Determinism by analyzing Fejerskov’s article. Technological Determinism is a reductive theory that relates social and cultural changes to technological changes. Also, technology evolves independently of social influence. There is ample evidence of technological determinism in Fejerskov’s article. In his article, he writes about technological determinism by acknowledging linear and independent progression of technology on society development, and how technological changes cause social changes. Early transfer of technology from developed to developing countries failed because local needs were not considered. Modern technological development methods were developed to make progressive improvements. However, these optimistic societal progressions, through technological innovation, have political consequences that affect the Global South. In Fejerkov’s article, social innovation labs can be considered as political artifacts since they ignore societal knowledge, and instill their power and authority in society. The intended beneficiaries are not allowed to exercise their power directly in determining which technologies work for their societies. Therefore, Fejerskov’s article effectively articulates Technological and Epistemic Determinism’s
Fejerskov provides plentiful evidence as to why his argument relates to Technology and Epistemic Determinism. He recognizes the historical determinism and linear progression of engineering on society development, emphasizes contemporary technopolitical artifacts, in the form of live global laboratories, as being independent of societal influence, and highlights how the technology’s undesirable consequences affect societies. Fejerskov’s article articulates Technological and Epistemic Determinism’s perspective. In “Epistemic and Technological Determinism in Development Aid,” Jan Cherlet defines epistemic determinism as “the two-footed ideology that knowledge is an immaterial good whose production is independent of the social context, and this immaterial good can be transferred, without much effort, to another social context where it will have meanings and effects similar to those in the original social context” (776). This ideology is evident in Fejerskov’s …show more content…
This essay placed the focus on Technological Determinism by analyzing Fejerskov’s article. Technological Determinism is a reductive theory that relates social and cultural changes to technological changes. Also, technology evolves independently of social influence. There is ample evidence of technological determinism in Fejerskov’s article. In his article, he writes about technological determinism by acknowledging linear and independent progression of technology on society development, and how technological changes cause social changes. Early transfer of technology from developed to developing countries failed because local needs were not considered. Modern technological development methods were developed to make progressive improvements. However, these optimistic societal progressions, through technological innovation, have political consequences that affect the Global South. In Fejerkov’s article, social innovation labs can be considered as political artifacts since they ignore societal knowledge, and instill their power and authority in society. The intended beneficiaries are not allowed to exercise their power directly in determining which technologies work for their societies. Therefore, Fejerskov’s article effectively articulates Technological and Epistemic Determinism’s