I'm re-posting a message I accidentally sent only to Lubomir
HI all,
I didn't quite understand whether jean's request is about examples in which someone (designer or not) DELIBERATELY managed to change society or examples in which products shaped societies and cultural systems. I understand that some of those who answered to Jean's request refer to the second interpretation (technology shaping society), while I was trying to think of a possible answer to the first interpretatino (designers deliberately shaping society through technology). I can't find, at the moment examples in this direction, while the debate of technology shaping society (I mean unintentionally or quasi-unintentionally) is long and complex and would probably include questions about society shaping technology (on which several books have been written, especially in the area of the social construction of technology).
I can add an example of technology shaping society (and viceversa): how many products and technological innovations have contributed to the development of new ways of working? A deliberate trial to use information technology to shape the way we work was based on telework. Although the prediction about a widespread diffusion of telework in western countries did not eventuate, there are several new work arrangement that are based on an intense use of information technology. For instance a lot of people can now work from any location, using the Internet to create connection with their original workplace. In this case was technology shaping society? or, on the contrary it was society shaping technology (because people did not like telework, but they did like to work while travelling, therefore the demand for laptop and other related facilities increased)?
Cheers
Nicola
Dr Nicola Morelli
Centre for Design at RMIT University
GPOBox 2476V Melbourne Victoria 3001
Web: http://users.tce.rmit.edu.au/e07643
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