Actor–network theory

The actor-network theory (ANT, English Actor- Network Theory ) is a social science school, which developed from the 1980s in the field of science and technology studies (STS ) and from there also in other areas of sociology and neighboring could establish disciplines. Core concept of the actor-network theory is that the world is written like a network, is therefore composed of all its features from different elements. This combination of different elements to more or less coherent actors is seen by the actor-network theory as the central object of study in sociology, she identifies the Social with associations, which can deploy in between all entities. Thus, it combines a critique of classical sociology in the tradition Émile Durkheim and many of its popular concepts such as society, interaction, structure, or the distinction between micro and macro level. The original method of actor-network theory, ethnography and semiotics, with the time it took but also in the field of discourse analysis and historical research application.

The relevant theoretical contributions to actor-network theory have been developed primarily by Michel Callon, John Law and Bruno Latour, often together with other members of the Science and Technology Studies and representatives of other academic disciplines. While the early work mainly investigated the production and function of science and technology, the actor-network theory later worked from the basic concepts of sociology and thus also of modern philosophy and try to modernity not as an evolution, rather than a to describe equal cultural form among many others.

Overview

The actor-network theory to explain scientific and technical innovations. According to this theory, the distinction between society and nature, and between society and technology is to be broken up. She is a post-structuralist theory, which wants to break the dualism of nature and culture. It is assumed that the social and mutually ascribe properties and action potential technology / natural in a network.

Social, technical and natural objects are not used in the actor-network theory to explain, but explanatory than the Company; their impact on society is thus considered. Science and technology development is therefore neither caused by natural or technical factors nor by social factors. For this consideration, one could arrive until after the fact.

The theory became known, because, in contrast to most ( almost all ) social theories the social rather than the looks that arises between people, but the participation of non-human entities highlights. The method can be referred to as "material - semiotic ". This means that it shows the connections that exist as material ( between things ) and semiotic ( between concepts ). The theory assumes that many compounds are both material and semiotic. For example, the interaction space of a university students, faculty and their ideas are also reflected as technologies, eg Chairs, tables, blackboards, laptops and stationery. Together, these form a single network called "university".

The ANT is now trying to explain how material - semiotic networks come together to act as a whole (eg, the university is both a network and an actor, and for some purposes, it acts as a single entity ). As a part hereof aspect, the ANT considered explicit strategies that serve to integrate different elements together into a network so that they appear outwardly as a coherent whole.

According to the ANT such actor- networks are short-lived. You are in a constant process of becoming and re-creation. This means that certain relationships must be performed repeatedly, as the network would resolve otherwise (in our example, students must attend daily courses that must be offered by the faculty and the computer must remain in use, etc. ). It is also suggested that networks of relationships are not to be coherent and in fact may contain conflicts ( for instance, a strained relationship between students and faculty exist or exist on the computers incompatibilities ). Social relationships are with other words constantly changing and must be permanently implemented.

History

The actor-network theory is driven mainly by the French sociologist Michel Callon and Bruno Latour since the mid- 1980s. In the English-speaking world it has been much attention. More classic contributions to actor-network theory comes from John Law and Madeleine Akrich. They have greatly influenced over the past two decades, the international science and technology research. Since the mid- 1990s, she also found in Germany Greater attention.

Actants

Bruno Latour understands the context of his actor-network theory also things as other actors who act in concert with human actors in network-like action contexts. A simple example is the actor " man gun " that arises gun and humans from the interaction of the two agents and can not be reduced to one of these two. As Latour, the term "agent" for non-humans is unnatural, he proposes the term " actant " used for the different entities.