Technology and Society Perspectives

• The text discusses the two perspectives on the relationship between technology and society: the instrumentalist perspective, which sees technology as an instrument that can be used to achieve certain goals, and the anthropologico-instrumentalist perspective, which sees technology as a neutral force that has its own norms and logic.
• The instrumentalist perspective is dominant in the modern world, where we believe that the development of technology will always lead to greater social and economic progress. However, the anthropologico-instrumentalist perspective is more realistic, acknowledging that technology can have negative effects on society if not used responsibly.
• Both perspectives have their benefits and drawbacks, and it is ultimately up to the individual to decide which perspective they believe is closer to the truth.
• The industrialization of the production of culture refers to the process of making large quantities of standardized products for mass consumption.
• The subjectivities of millions of people are subjected to the capitalist logics of marketplaces.
• The destruction of artistic creation is a potential result of the technological development.
• The social construction of technology is influenced by the power dynamics of relationships.
• The principle of symmetry holds that we should pay equal attention to the failures of technological development as we do to the successes.
• The risk of a "technology black hole" in which alternative technologies are forgotten and where modes of life and interactions with the world (culture) are associated with them, is a concern.
• The substantialist approach to culture tends to focus on particular cases and to ignore the actors who do not access the negotiation techniques.
• The cultural specificity or universalism of the development of technology is not addressed.
• The focus on micro-level analysis risks privileging certain perspectives over others.

Explore the two perspectives on the relationship between technology and society, the instrumentalist and anthropologico-instrumentalist perspectives. Consider the societal impacts of technological development and the industrialization of culture production.