CS213 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Roomba, Unintended Consequences, Cultural Determinism
Calling something an unintended consequence treats the event as something separate and
secondary to the supposed primary consequence → eg dog poop roomba example from last
class, dog feces were introduced to network of connections, roomba functioned properly
What is the principle shortfall of cultural determinism?
● Does not solve the issue just reverses it… and technology bears no responsibility
● Ignores the roles technologies play in social practices
Limitations of Cultural Determinism
● Can’t adequately address relationship between people and technology
● Leads to assumption that effects of technologies ought to be in line with intentions -
rationalism
● Creates false division between intended and unintended consequences
● Discourages any response except optimism regarding technological change
Control
● We seem to waver between self-descriptions of technological mastery and technological
dependence
● Slack and Wise Frankenstein
○ In/out of control
○ Problem of thinking in terms of: technological autonomy, technological
dependence, trust
In Control
● Control over nature and environment
○ “By observing nature and other humans in this way, they become mere objects to
be manipulated and understood, and not agents in their own right. It also
separates humans from nature” pg 61 Things to Come
○ We think humanity is the master
● Social control
○ “Less corporeal means of controlling the population…” Mumford
○ We imagine we can control each other through technology
Disciplinary (Social) Control
● Foucault (1979) Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison
● Control behaviour through surveillance
● Started with the plague in Europe - record keeping of who was sick
● Increase of city planning
● New surveillance based on information and polls about who lives where
Rituals of Exclusion
Discipline
Practices of rejection, exile-enclosure
Meticulous tactical partitioning
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Calling something an unintended consequence treats the event as something separate and secondary to the supposed primary consequence eg dog poop roomba example from last class, dog feces were introduced to network of connections, roomba functioned properly. Does not solve the issue just reverses it and technology bears no responsibility. Ignores the roles technologies play in social practices. Can"t adequately address relationship between people and technology. Leads to assumption that effects of technologies ought to be in line with intentions - rationalism. Creates false division between intended and unintended consequences. Discourages any response except optimism regarding technological change. We seem to waver between self-descriptions of technological mastery and technological dependence. Problem of thinking in terms of: technological autonomy, technological dependence, trust. By observing nature and other humans in this way, they become mere objects to be manipulated and understood, and not agents in their own right. It also separates humans from nature pg 61 things to come.
