This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Shen, X. Articles by Williams, R. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

A Critique of China's Utilitarian View of Science and Technology

Xiaobai Shen is at the School of Economics and Management, University of Edinburgh, William Robertson Building, 50 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JY, UK. E–mail: xiaobai.shen@ed.ac.uk.

Robn Williams

Robin Williams is at the Research Centre for Social Sciences, Institute for Studies of Science, Technology and Innovation, University of Edinburgh, High School Yards, Edinburgh EH1 1LZ, UK. E–mail: r.williams@ed.ac.uk.

Technology studies in the West, including the specific case explored here of the ‘social shaping of technology’ (SST) perspective, has been patterned by the particular historical circumstances in which it emerged, in terms of both contemporary political concerns about the socio–economic implications of technological change, and the respective strengths and traditions of the various academic disciplines that contributed to this new field. This article points to the fundamental weaknesses in China's approach to technology development—the ‘utilitarian’ view of technology. Three key manifestations are that: (a) technology has been treated as merely a ‘tool’, detached from its social and political context; (b) technology is treated as a finished solution, diverting attention from the necessary processes of technological learning from advanced economies; and (c) a narrow focus is adopted of technical specialism in science and engineering at the expense of social, policy and managerial expertise, often associated with an elitist approach to technology development.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?