Social shaping of technology

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According to Williams and Edge, "Central to Social Shaping of Technology (SST) is the concept that there are `choices' (though not necessarily conscious choices) inherent in both the design of individual artifacts and systems, and in the direction or trajectory of innovation programs."

If technology does not emerge from the unfolding of a predetermined logic or a single determinant, then innovation is a 'garden of forking paths'. Different routes are available, potentially leading to different technological outcomes. Significantly, these choices could have differing implications for society and for particular social groups.

SST both agrees and conflicts with elements of other theories that tie sociology and technology together such as Social construction of technology which argues that human action shapes technology, but technology does not shape human action. SST is concerned to explore the material consequences of different technical choices, but criticises Technological determinism, which argues that technology follows its own developmental path, outside of human influences, and in turn, influences society.