THE SOCIAL SHAPING OF TECHNOLOGY

This paper reviews the growing body of research that explores 'the soc ial shaping of technology' (SST) - how the design and implementation o f technology are patterned by a range of 'social' and 'economic' facto rs as well as narrowly 'technical' considerations, It shows how resear chers from a range of disciplinary backgrounds were brought together b y a critique of traditional conceptions of technology (for example, 'l inear models' of innovation that privileged technological supply or re stricted the scope of social inquiry into technology to assessing its 'impacts'), Though their analytical frameworks differ to a greater or lesser extent in terminology and approach, some explanatory concepts h ave emerged, and constitute an effective model of the innovation proce ss, Here, it is suggested, SST offers a deeper understanding and also potentially broadens the technology policy agenda, These claims are as sessed through a review of recent research into specific instances of social shaping, particularly in relation to information technology. Fi nally the article discusses some of the intellectual dilemmas in the f ield. Though the intellectual cross-fertilisation has been creative, p oints of tension and divergence between its constituent strands have r esulted in some sharp controversies, which reflect upon the theoretica l and policy claims of SST.