HUMAN AND TECHNOLOGICAL REDUNDANCY - PHANTOM INTERMEDIARIES IN A NUCLEAR SUBMARINE INDUSTRY

In this paper, we are concerned with the ways in which pain and redund ancy might be accommodated within the framework of Actor-Network. Theo ry. We pose the question: what are the consequences, both analytic and human, when technologies and humans are removed from sociotechnical n etworks? Taking the production of Trident as the 'core business' of th e nuclear submarine manufacturers VSEL, and addressing not only the pr ocess of technological innovation, but also of technological productio n, we explore how both workers and 'alternative' technologies were ren dered redundant, or 'disenrolled'. However, we view these redundant ac tors as retaining a lingering presence, in the form of what we call 'p hantom intermediaries'. These, we argue, continue to shape the relevan t sociotechnical network by 'disciplining' the remaining actors. Over and above this, they also serve to signify preferred futures, and the possibility of resistance. Finally, we will draw out some of the broad er implications of our approach for the study of sociotechnical networ ks and their relation to redundancy and pain.