ABSTRACT
The household1 has emerged as a fruitful area of study, in relation to the position of media technology in this environment (Silverstone, 1994, 1999). This type of ‘localised’ study has developed from perspectives which emphasise the ‘social shaping of technology’, where the user is perceived to take a dominant role in defining the nature, scope and functions of the technology. This approach aims to question discourses surrounding technological determinism, where technology is perceived to develop independently of society, having a significant impact on societal change.
