Actor-Network Theory and Social Practice

 
PIIS013216250009372-2-1
DOI10.31857/S013216250009372-2
Publication type Article
Status Published
Authors
Occupation: Department Head of Higher School of Modern Social Sciences
Affiliation: Lomonosov State University
Address: Russian Federation, Moscow
Journal nameSotsiologicheskie issledovaniya
EditionIssue 7
Pages128-137
Abstract

The article deals with some aspects of the actor-network theory (ANT) focusing on «reassembling the social». Sociality "reassembles" as a result of the interaction of people and "non-people", things, material objects and technologies interpreted as actors. The author analyzes the elimination of the " human - non-human ", "living - non-living" oppositions, which is a distinctive feature of a new ANT methodology of social research. The article considers the turn to the material or “latur’s revolution” as the transformation of the ontological concept of the social world and the status of a person in it. An individual is equated to “non-humans”, artifacts and technological inventions. The theoretical points of the actor-network theory are transferred to the actual practice of the modern digital reality where technology is overemphasized and interpersonal relations appear to undergo drastic transformation. Things, material objects tend to replace human beings. They start dealing with an increasing number of problems that used to be tackled by people. Consequently, the active implementation of technologies is to make a person useless and economically unprofitable. Special consideration is given to some of the consequences generated by the emerging trend implying changing attitudes to the social world: transition from anthropocentrism to technocentrism.

Keywordsactor-network theory, reassembling the social, elimination of the oppositions «humans – non-humans», technocentrism, social practice
Received22.04.2020
Publication date01.08.2020
Number of characters33716
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