%0 Journal Article %1 Kaghan2001/9 %A Kaghan, William N. %A Bowker, Geoffrey C. %D 2001/9 %J Journal of Engineering and Technology Management %K Actor Communities Complexity; Sociotechnical Tacit knowledge; network of practice systems; theory; %N 3-4 %P 253-269 %T Out of machine age?: complexity, sociotechnical systems and actor network theory %V 18 %X This paper compares sociotechnical systems (STS) theory and actor network theory (ANT) as developed by Latour, Callon and Law. We examine how STS and ANT can be viewed as responses to rationalist/functionalist research on large sociotechnical systems and as extensions and elaborations of pragmatist/culturalist frameworks developed in sociology and anthropology. We reexamine, from an actor network perspective, Trist and Bamforth’s seminal article in which the concept of a sociotechnical system was introduced. We also discuss how STS ideas on interactive planning can be combined with concepts from ANT to investigate interdependent processes of invention and innovation in large sociotechnical networks.

@article{Kaghan2001/9, abstract = {This paper compares sociotechnical systems (STS) theory and actor network theory (ANT) as developed by Latour, Callon and Law. We examine how STS and ANT can be viewed as responses to rationalist/functionalist research on large sociotechnical systems and as extensions and elaborations of pragmatist/culturalist frameworks developed in sociology and anthropology. We reexamine, from an actor network perspective, Trist and Bamforth’s seminal article in which the concept of a sociotechnical system was introduced. We also discuss how STS ideas on interactive planning can be combined with concepts from ANT to investigate interdependent processes of invention and innovation in large sociotechnical networks.}, added-at = {2008-08-31T18:03:07.000+0200}, author = {Kaghan, William N. and Bowker, Geoffrey C.}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/2d6eb18bd697af84a2a7fa5fc008448a6/jomiralb}, description = {Old biblio}, interhash = {dd68da1d9f0702d891d7ff4eca71f6d7}, intrahash = {d6eb18bd697af84a2a7fa5fc008448a6}, journal = {Journal of Engineering and Technology Management}, keywords = {Actor Communities Complexity; Sociotechnical Tacit knowledge; network of practice systems; theory;}, number = {3-4}, owner = {oriol}, pages = {253-269}, timestamp = {2008-08-31T18:03:15.000+0200}, title = {Out of machine age?: complexity, sociotechnical systems and actor network theory}, volume = 18, year = {2001/9} }