chapter 4: technosocial design Flashcards
what is the timeline of the cellphone development?
- 1945–Early AT&T transmitter that could allow millions of users to communicate
- 1973–first cellphone handset introduced; weighed 2kg
1990s-early 2000s–widespread adoption in the U.S.
- 2014–cellphone penetration rates above 100% in some Asian regions (multiple devices per individual
what are the 3 central factors contribute to the lack of knowledge about the design phase of technology?
- lack of reflective processes = more concerned with day-to-day tasks opposed to the social, economic, cultural, and political effects of their design
- retro analysis = analyses that occur take place after the implementation of the technology - becomes significant after the fact
- black box of design = innovations occur behind closed doors, making it difficult for researchers to obtain access to these developments as they unfold during the design stage (secrecy)
“examines how physical artifacts, social institutions, and the social context interact to influence design and cause social change”
systems theory
how did Benathy describe a “system”?
a configuration of parts connected and joined together by a web of relationships
what was the founder of the system theories main idea?
- aim of understanding the design and development process of tech in social forces
- tech changes linked to goals and interests of ind, groups and society
what are the 3 stages of design and development and tech according to Hughes?
- tech development
- tech transfer
- system growth
what is the stage of tech development?
- technology is being invented and developed
- technology slowly takes shape with inventors and entrepreneurs working on creating a prototype or demonstrating its utlility
what is the stage of tech transfer?
- innovation transmitted from one geographic area or social group to others
- agents of change play a central role in aiding in the transfer of technological know-how
Example: you should get a phone because then I can get in touch with you a lot easier (encourage people to get a smartphone)
what is the stage of system growth? with def of reverse salients and differential growth
reverse salients = imbalance in growth of systems subcomponents - critical problem (for it to be tackled)
eg. PC and differential growth in various hardware
differential growth = one component develops rapidly leaving other areas of development behind
what happened in the case study of cellphone batteries?
Reverse salient → critical problem (for it to be tackled)
- capabilities have developed rapidly, yet battery life continues to be a sub-component that has been difficult to advance
- Most cell phones’ battery life will last only 24 to 28 hours
what is the innovation society?
shift in economy where reproduction was the centre of econ development to now where knowledge is the central asset
how does Castells and Hall define technopole?
“planned developments” that generate the basic materials of the informational economy”
- show a certain kind of homogeneity in the world
- key centres of innovation where products and tech are produced
what are the 3 interrelated processes that comptemt. technopoles arise from?
- information revolution
- globalization
- information production
- lead toward the creation of technopoles as centres of innovation
what does the IR process of information rev entail?
- technological revolution built around information technologies creating a need for the design of new digital tools, platforms, and content
- Products and services are needed to sustain in the information society
eg. online retailers, content media sites
what does the IR process of globalization entail?
globalization = formation of a global economy that transcends national boundaries, governments, and laws
- globalized system is highly interdependent with each single component affecting other components located in different geographic regions
(i.e., Airbnb)
what does the IR process of info production entail?
development of new forms of economic production centred upon information (informational)
- informational - economy where productivity and competitiveness are based on the gen of new knowledge and on the access and processing of approp. info
Economic production?
activity carried out under the control and responsibility of an institutional unit that uses inputs of labour, capital, and goods and services to produce outputs of goods or services
what are some actors that make canada an ideal location for technopoles
- highly skilled labour force
- Grants and supports from government
- Competitive wages in comparison to some other countries
- First-rate public education and health care
what is the gaming industry in canada like?
- one of the largest worldwide and contributed to 3.7 bill in econ growth
- fastest growing sectors of the economy
- business success comes from industry-government partnerships in the form of financial support
what is the negative impact of technopoles on the video game industry?
sometimes they have to work 7 days a week because products are constantly working on crunch-time they experience burn-out
what are the problems that arised in the case study on blackberry in waterloo?
technopoles brought risks to local industries, vulnerable to global trends and leaving local community with debt, unemployment and poor living
- blackberrys rapid decline due to other companies such as apple and preference change
- laid off 40% of their staff and reduced operations
what are global cities?
-places where new relationships are formed
-central place of development in globalized area promoting transactional flows of good and services
eg. london, tokyo, new york, shanghi
tech giants have led to the design of…..
smart cities = environments where digital technologies are used to enhance the quality and efficiency of municipal services
eg. partnership between google and toronto envisioning how to build a new waterfront neighbourhood
brings ethical questions - new waterfront people seen as living in a lab?
what is the creative class and what are the 3 “Ts”?
highly educated professionals who move to cities cause econ benefits are hight and affordable
technology
talent
tolerance
how do technopoles influence their surroundings and who are the supplies and consumers?
- create vibrant and prosperous regions that bring tg innovators, investors and diverse talent
suppliers of goods and services - developing nations
consumers - western nations
“mega factories dedicated solely to the mass production of goods for the tech industry, with exploitative work conditions”
supplier factories
what does exploitation look like in these supplier factories?
- forced to work overtime
- health and fire safety not meeting standards
marx - observed proletariat in industrial factories worked under horrible conditions but got fraction of gains made from sale
- allienation = repetitive and automated tasked
what is research and development(R&D) and the 3 areas?
creative work undertaken on a systematic basis to increase stock of knowledge, knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applications
basic research, applied research and experimental development
“experimental or theoretical investigation that is aimed at acquiring new understandings of the underlying foundations of phenomena and observable facts” (no particular use in field)
basic research
“acquiring new knowledge through addressing or solving practical problems”
applied research
what is experimental development?
research based on existing knowledge that aims to:
- Develop new materials or products
- Propose new processes, systems, and services
- Modify processes already in place
what is the “creative process” according to Shumpter and what are the 3 stages?
development of the economy through the production process (central for econ prosperity)
- invention
- innovation
- imitation
what does invention entail?
referred to as process of circular flow - characterized by general equilibrium as there is little change in the interrelation of economic factors
- supply of goods perfectly tailored to meet consumer demands - no tensions or social problems arise in the social system
- actors are passive observers of function econ system
what does innovation entail?
- radical transformations occur bringing about fundamentally different social system (can disrupt social structure)
- growth is important
- change occurs both qualitatively and quantitatively
what are the 4 changes that happen during this stage?
- Increases in salaries
- Population growth
- Changes in consumer tastes and choices
- Changes in how production occurs
what are the 3 key factors that impact innovation?
- based on the new ideas and processes making it difficult to establish the expected outcome and potential future revenue
- uncertainty leads to difficulty for investors to predict the return on Investment (ROI) hence why there is apprehension in supporting it
- reluctance to accept change in society making it difficult for innovators to convince others of the usefulness of their ideas
what is cynical fluctuation in terms of imitation?
econ development evolves suddenly and in clusters
- normal way capitlist systems evolve and prosper
- attributes cynical nature of econ to imitation
what does the stage of imitation entail?
Once an innovation is diffused - other will learn about this innovation and want to adopt it too which results in economic growth
eg. innovation in the car industry will lead other car manufacturers to follow and develop similar model
how can innovation be directly linked to economic output→ happen at the nation-state level?
and GERD def?
higher the expenditure a nation makes into R&D, the greater the economic return
gross domestic expenditure of R&D (GERD) = purpose of comparing the investment in innovation that occurs across nations
important indicators of a nations potential to innovate includes the number of….
- patents issued
- peer review publications
- new products developed
decentralize and spread R&D teams around the globe
what does the theoretical framework that carmel and sawyer entails and what are the 2 teams?
emphasize social environment in which software development occurs
- code is a tool that facilitates social behaviours such as informing, sharing and collab
- packaged software development
- information systems development
“software that is produced in large quantities and can be obtained off the shelf, for example Microsoft Office Suites”
packaged software development
“customized software, such as Facebook, that is designed to meet the needs and requirements of a particular group of users”
information systems group
what are the 4 broad categories in understanding software developers’ work?
- understanding the industry
- understanding the tasks
- understanding the cultural milieu
- understanding team structure
what does understanding the industry entail?
PSD = intense time-to-market pressure - company compete to be the first to deliver software that includes the “latest” functionality at low prices
ISG = cost pressures, success measures (satisfaction)
essential to acquire early market share and position themselves as a leader
what does understanding the tasks entail?
PSD = primary task is to write code, specific tasks, distant and less involved in development
ISG = staff assigned specific project, more closely integrated with development of product (interdependent)
what does understanding cultural milieu entail?
PSD = individualistic work habits, long work hours, nor set schedule but tasks and schedule always changing
ISG = less individualistic, more set working hours
what is a “software cowboy”?
high-performing developer, who is a “brilliant genius, who single-handedly conceived and codes clever new systems
what does understanding team structure entail?
PSD = more cohesive and motivated, large financial rewards, discrpancies in income, small, software cowboys
ISG = project focused, multiple project assignments, working tg, salary based, formal specifities, larger
what is a code?
system comprising symbols and rules for representing information or instructions in a way that computer can read and use
“code that is optimized for solving a specific problem or giving a complex command”
algorithm
