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Abstract: The paper draws on actor-network theory, as presented by Latour, to argue that technological design and implementation are not mere technical or neutral processes which aim at more efficient means towards predefined ends, but they are processes of an inherently political nature. In these political processes through which collectives are established both humans and technologies participate as actants in the definition of ends, identities and work practices and in the distribution of resources and opportunities. The significant effects of these political processes necessitate a critical reflection on the morality of the process of shaping a collective. The hybrid nature of the politics requires the development of critical tools which would recognise the intermingling of the social and the technical and which would make it possible to trace the effects of different kinds of actants. Such a framework within which various critical issues could be pursued is found in Latour's conception of due process. The requirements of due process are illustrated by means of the implementation of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system in a university. It is illustrated that the symmetrical treatment of humans and technologies in due process enables a deeper form of critique.
Keywords: Latour, actor-network theory, politics, due process, design, implementation, critique
1. Introduction
Processes of organising are always political in the sense that they define ends, work processes and identities, and that they distribute resources and opportunities. Since the design and implementation of technology are part of these processes of organising, they are not merely neutral, technical processes, but they are deeply involved in politics. Inscribed into the technologies are codes and values that prescribe roles and behaviour to those enrolled into the socio-technical network. Bijker (2006) discusses a large number of cases to support his conclusion that "all technology is political and all politics is technological". He argues that a detailed study of technological projects reveals how they are informed by political considerations and how political decisions cannot be understood without a careful study of technologies.
The fact that not all the effects of technology could be anticipated indicates that a kind of agency should be attributed to technology. The presence of such unanticipated effects indicates that technology does not simply function according to the codes inscribed...