The Need for Sociotechnical Turn in the Study of Society Digitalization

This study investigates the conditions of digital society development. All probable unintended consequences of digitalization require the development of a science-based approach to manage this digital development. However, there is a problem associated with the divergence in the assessment of the digitalization effects by representatives of the information technology sector responsible for the new technologies development and by representatives of social sciences studying the impact of digitalization on social relations, institutions and processes. Authors propose a new approach to understanding new digital reality based on so-called sociotechnical turn, which is a purely integrative approach aimed at solving a tough common issue. Moreover, the article proposes a theoretical analysis of sociological and technological discourses of the society digitalization problem. To define and structure the set of differences, there were conducted 5 in-depth interviews with specialists from the technical field, aiming to gather information both from applied experts and more science-oriented participants. The study has revealed that those who perform tasks set under the digitalization agenda may not be aware of the social consequences of their work. They follow a linear technical logic of computers and do not consider ethical or more complex social issues in their daily activity. This discovery supports our claim that it is of paramount importance to separate terms of digitization, meaning a technical view of the issue, and digitalization, implying a cross-field approach including both social and technical sciences. Keywords: digitalization, digital society, sociological turn, technology, social digitalizatio

The Evolution of Sociology of Software Architecture

The dialectical interplay of technology and sociological development goes back to the early days of human development, starting with stone tools and fire, and coming through the scientific and industrial revolutions; but it has never been as intense or as rapid as in the modern information age of software development and accelerating knowledge society (Mansell and Wehn, 1988; and Nico, 1994, p. 1602-1604). Software development causes social change, and social challenges demand software solutions. In turn, software solutions demand software application architecture. Software architecture (“SA”) (Fielding and Taylor, 2000) is a process for “defining a structural solution that meets all the technical and operations requirements...” (Microsoft, 2009, Chapter I). In the SA process, there is neither much emphasis on the sociological requirements of all social stakeholders nor on the society in w hich these stakeholders use, operate, group, manage, transact, dispute, and resolve social conflicts. For problems of society demanding sociological as well as software solutions, this study redefines software application architecture as “the process of defining a structured solution that meets all of the sociological , technical, and operational requirements…” This investigation aims to l ay the groundwork for, evolve, and develop an innovative and novel sub-branch of scientific study we name the “Sociology of Software Architecture” (hereinafter referred to as “SSA”). SSA is an interdisciplinary and comparative study integrating, synthesizing, and combining elements of the disciplines of sociology, sociology of technology, history of technology, sociology of knowledge society, epistemology, science methodology (philosophy of science), and software architecture. Sociology and technology have a strong, dynamic, and dialectical relationship and interplay, especially in software development. This thesis investigates and answers important and relevant questions, evolves and develops new scientific knowledge, proposes solutions, demonstrates and validates its benefits, shares its case studies and experiences, and advocates, promotes, and helps the future and further development of this novel method of science

Aspectos sociológicos informacionales y cognitivos de la organización del conocimiento

50 years ago knowledge organization, the development of scientific concepts and arrangements, has been seen as a logical and thus universal problem. Older approaches accordingly see areas of knowledge as naturally given and organically grown. At latest with the constructivism has entered a ‘turn’, which sees knowledge organization as a social convention and accordingly regards universal standards skeptical. Simultaneously in the sciences came up a stronger concern with historical and sociological studies of its foundations and in philosophy of science the return to different kinds of relativizations has gained more importance. In this paper, some single classical sociological positions are discussed, conclusions are drawn for knowledge and information as well as for science and knowledge organization and objections are designated.Desde hace cincuenta años, la organización del conocimiento —el desarrollo de conceptos científicos y su estructuración— se entiende como un problema lógico y, por tanto, universal. Los enfoques tradicionales ven las áreas del conocimiento como dadas naturalmente y regidas por un crecimiento orgánico. El constructivismo ha traido un cambio de paradigma, que contempla la organización del conocimiento como una convención social; y, consecuentemente, considera escépticamente la existencia de estándares universales. Simultáneamente, se ha producido en las ciencias un interés más intenso sus fundamentos históricos y sociológicos; y en la filosofía de la ciencia ha ganado en importancia la reconsideración de diferentes relativizaciones. En este artículo, se discuten vías de las posiciones sociológicas clásicas y se trazan sus implicaciones en la comprensión de la información y el conocimiento, así como para la ciencia de la organización del conocimiento, atendiendo especialmente a las objeciones que plantean a las perspectivas clásicas

Ontological imagination: transcending methodological solipsism and the promise of interdisciplinary studies

This text is a presentation of the notion of ontological imagination. It constitutes an attempt to merge two traditions: critical sociology and science and technology studies - STS. By contrasting these two intellectual traditions, I attempt to bring together: a humanist ethical-political sensitivity and a posthumanist ontological insight. My starting point is the premise that contemporary world needs new social ontology and new critical theory based on it in order to overcome the unconsciously adapted, “slice-based” modernist vision of social ontology. I am convinced that we need new ontological frameworks of the social combined with a research disposition which I refer to as ontological imagination

Occupations, Organizations, and Boundaryless Careers

[Excerpt] The central premise of this chapter is that, as organizations become less important in defining career pathways and boundaries, occupations will become increasingly more important. While occupational demarcations have always had a significant, albeit often unacknowledged, impact on individual career patterns, the significance of such demarcations for careers is likely to be heightened by current trends in employment relationships. In this chapter, then, I review the sociological literature on occupational labor markets and on the structure of professional occupations, in an effort to shed light on a number of issues associated with occupationally based careers. Of specific concern are three questions: What kinds of job and occupational characteristics foster such careers? When occupations become the major locus of careers, what are the consequences for organizations? And finally, what are some of the key career-management issues for individuals pursuing occupation-ally based careers

Sociology’s Rhythms: Temporal Dimensions of Knowledge Production

From the temporal perspective, this article examines shifts in the productionof sociological knowledge. It identifies two kinds of rhythms of sociology: 1) that of sociological standpoints and techniques of investigation and 2) that of contemporary academic life and culture. The article begins by discussing some of the existing research strategies designed to "chase"high-speed society. Some, predominantly methodological, currents are explored and contrasted with the "slow" instruments of sociological analysis composed of different, yet complementary, modes of inquiry. Against this background, the article stresses that it is through the tension between fast and slow modes of inquiry that sociology reproduces itself. The subsequent part explores the subjective temporal experience in contemporary academia. It is argued that increasing administration and auditing of intellectual work significantly coshapes sociological knowledge production not only by requiring academics to work faster due to an increasing volume of tasks, but also by normalizing time-pressure.The article concludes by considering the problem as to whether the increasing pace of contemporary academic life has detrimental consequences for the more organic reproductive rhythms of sociology

Historical sociology, international relations and connected histories

This article addresses three recent developments in historical sociology: (1) neo-Weberian historical sociology within International Relations; (2) the 'civilizational analysis' approach utilized by scholars of 'multiple modernities'; and (3) the 'third wave' cultural turn in US historical sociology. These developments are responses to problems identified within earlier forms of historical sociology, but it is suggested each fails to resolve them precisely because each remains contained within the methodological framework of historical sociology as initially conceived. It is argued that their common problem lies in the utilization of 'ideal types' as the basis for sociohistorical analysis. This necessarily has the effect of abstracting a set of particular relations from their wider connections and has the further effect of suggesting sui generis endogenous processes as integral to these relations. In this way, each of the three developments continues the Eurocentrism typical of earlier approaches. The article concludes with a call for 'connected histories' to provide a more adequate methodological and substantive basis for an historical sociology appropriate to calls for a properly global historical sociology

Making choices: research paradigms and information management: practical applications of philosophy in IM research

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine a variety of research approaches which information managers may find useful to meet the needs of working in the networked, digitized age. Design/methodology/approach – This is achieved by a discussion of the research paradigms inherent within both information theory and social theory. Findings – The findings work towards a final justification for an interpretist approach as the most appropriate context in which to work, in order to meet the emerging trends and current challenges of information technology management. Practical implications – The central theme of this paper is that research which deals primarily with people and information in a world of change, competition, and fluid communications technology should take into account and allow for an understanding of human behaviour. This understanding helps to highlight different contexts, backgrounds, and cultures and therefore provides assistance in making appropriate choices concerning research paradigms and information management, which in turn will ensure thoughtful methodology and justifiable research results. Originality/value – This paper examined questions regarding the choices of research paradigms and the practical application of philosophy to the life of professional information managers