Constructive Technology assessment

This paper conceives technology assessment possibly to-be a constructively democratic, reflective and discursive process. The paper reviews selected literature targeting the idea and rehearse of constructive technology assessment (CTA). CTA aims to produce much better technology in a far better culture, and emphasises early participation of an extensive variety of actors to facilitate personal researching technology and possible impacts. The report gift suggestions a unique viewpoint of CTA according to a discussion of contiguous research in the personal ramifications and control over technology, reflexivity and expression in ‘risk society’ (Beck), and on community comprehension and participation in research and technology. The report concludes that the future improvement CTA is well served by enhanced articulation or modification of main elements of the approach, as an example by emphasising a concern for interaction and socio-technical criticism according to democratic concepts. Besides, to conceive of CTA as a discursive activity may facilitate the evaluation associated with the limitations in practice in the role of non-experts taking part in technology evaluation as well as the capacity for self-reflection of all of the stars.

Keywords

• Constructive technology evaluation;
• Democratic technology;
• Risk community;
• Reflection;
• Discourse

Copyright © 2005 Elsevier Inc. All liberties set aside.

Audley Genus is Senior Lecturer in Technology Policy and Strategy at University of Newcastle upon Tyne Business School. He has got posted thoroughly in educational journals from the relationship between decision-making processes and large-scale or high-risk technology. The most up-to-date of their three publications, ‘Decisions, tech and Organization’, is posted by Gower (2000).