A Taxonomy of Theories about ICTs and Society

Wolfgang Hofkirchner

doi:10.31269/triplec.v8i2.156

Wolfgang Hofkirchner ICT&S Center, University of Salzburg

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31269/triplec.v8i2.156

Keywords: ways of thinking, technodeterminism, social constructivim, mutual shaping approach, eutopianism, dystopianism, design theories

Abstract

How is the relationship between ICTs and society to be conceived of? And how is the relationship to be evaluated? These two questions form the basis upon which an ideal-typical categorisation of different theoretical approaches can be built. The scheme presented here allows to be aware of advantages and disadvantages of certain ways of theorising.

Author Biography

Wolfgang Hofkirchner, ICT&S Center, University of Salzburg

Professor, Internet and Society, University of Salzburg; Associate Professor, Technology Assessment, Vienna University of Technology
Member, Board of Directors, and Chair, Science Advisory Committee, Science of Information Institute, Washington
Member, Foundations of Information Science Board, http://fis.icts.sbg.ac.at
President, Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science, Vienna
Editor, Unity Through Diversity Two, Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science Book Series, ISCE Publishing, Goodyear, Arizona
Member, Board, Institut für Design Science, München
Coordinator, icts and society network, http://www.icts-and-society.net
Research fields: Praxio-Onto-Epistemology, Evolutionary Systems Theory, Unified Theory of Information, Critical Social Systems Theory, Critical Design Theory, Critical Information Society Theory