ABSTRACT

This chapter provides an overview of sociological work, drawing on recent approaches to technology. It reviews different arguments in regard to the sociology of technology and examines the path to social change. The chapter explores the effects of sociological theory on technology and suggests that technological change derives from different societal traditions and as such accumulates and reflects social processes and cultures. Formative principles as theoretical concept cannot offer a normative, fixed and true picture of societal developments, as this concept was developed and is strongest in industrial countries where the principles of hierarchism, objectivism, and growth are at the heart of the theoretical frameworks. For industrial societies which recognize ‘growth’ as a constitutive necessity, constant change could even guarantee preservation. The approach is that an entirely new concept is required and that there is a vital need for improved analysis with respect to the assessment of technological issues.