FACTORS THAT SHAPE TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS Introduction The idea of the social shaping of technology springs from the argument about determinism. The main comparison is based on the different conceptions of determinism, whether information technology can be seen as shaping society or whether society shapes the way in which information technology affects our lives. In his paper, Theorising the IT/Society Relationship, Hughie Mackay defines technological determinism as: “the notion that technological development is autonomous of …showed first 75 words of 1083 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1083 total…have attempted to show an understanding of the meaning of the social shaping of technology, which rises from the idea of determinism and the contrast between technological determinism and social determinism. The social shaping of technology can be understood to be the process where the various sectors of industry (designers, engineers, marketers, advertisers) combine knowledge and expertise to present a product to the general public for customisation or appropriation to suit their own individual requirements.