A case of the chicken and the egg: Actor-Network Theory

The development of highly integrated technologies such as the smart-phone; computer, apps, internet capabilities, social media device, phone, etc, have raised questions as to what kind of relationship there is between humans and technology which produce such features.






Are the humans the ones that drive changed in technology so that they meet the needs of human interactions or do the capabilities of technology drive social patterns and behaviours by the new ways they allow people to communicate and interact.






Michel Callon and Bruno Latour believe that both the social determinists and technological determinists are fighting the wrong battle (delukie, 2009) . Neither the egg nor the chicken came first or drive the movement of social-technological interactions but both as part of an 'actor-network'.


In David Banks' article 'A Brief Summary of Actor Network Theory' he says, "even if ICTs mark a fundamental shift in our relationship to technology, it is only another wave in a constantly evolving relationship to our own understanding of technological progress." He goes on to give the example that " Anthrax spores, Portuguese navigators, car batteries, Thomas Edison, the Renault Car Company, and scallops are all given equal treatment as nodal points within an actor-network"(Banks, 2011).


Banks does raise the question of how our relationship with technology is evolving and what is the current state of this relationship- are humans and technology on an equal footing in the ability to change this relationship?

The reality is that humans obviously dominate the relationship. If we deconstruct any technology it is obviously composed of materials that are essential to the functioning of the object. For example the simple fax machine. Materially it is made up of wires, metal and plastic pieces, a plastic shell, screws, and not part of the fax but essential to its functioning are a phone network, toner, electricity and paper. Beyond this there are many more relational characteristics but at its most basic level the existence of the fax machine is based on the communication between humans. Most necessary to the fax machine is writing, words, language and all this coming from human thought.


It is true that objects have aspects of their characteristics that are relational to human beings. A fax machine or a chair exist apart from the human being. They have characteristics in and of themselves but one of their essential characteristics are those that relate to the human- though this is not the only characteristic- because things exist within reality, not purely relative to relations. ....AND why is the fax machine outdated? because we humans wanted a more integrated way or a faster, better way of communicating and new technologies are thus made for us!