Fluctuations, Technologies and Media: Social Change and Sociology Change

Sociology has long been criticized for not incorporating tools, imbued with power and the ability to interact as nonhuman, into its basic research paradigms (Latour, 2005). This criticism has continued as computation, ontologically and epistemologically pragmatic in its creation (Naur, 1985), has manifested philosophies of and about communication that are not accessible, nor discussed (Dourish, 2004). The technological makeup that sits at the foundation of computer-mediated communication has had tremendous impact on society itself. Despite that impact, there have been few sociological voices that focus on design, development, or programming languages. Instead, sociologists have examined use and consequence of use from the perspective of users themselves (see: Wellman, 2006). What work has been done within technology has not been loud enough to have lasting impact on design, development, nor programming languages.

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Recommended citation: ‘LaLone, Nicolas & Andrea Tapia. (2016). "“Fluctuations, Technologies and Media: Social Change and Sociology Change.”" Information, Communication & Society. 19(5) 559-564.’