Re: Query on technology dissemination

Hi
To clarify:

I am interested NOT in the Latour problematic of technological  
dissemination in the abstract but in the particular and personal  
problem of persuading fellow humans to adopt technology that affects  
them in a likely mysterious and possibly adverse way. Thus, Geertz,  
Foucault, those theorists are probably more relevant, but still likely  
to be too abstract. Looking at, say, the history of evolution's  
dissemination may be more to the point but only insofar as it focuses  
on what was gained or lost by particular individuals in their public  
acceptance or rejection of its claims.

ciao,
Louis

On 2008-10-05, at 21:46 , Louis Suarez-Potts wrote:

> I'm not sure my subject line is accurate. I'm interested in studies  
> that examine the specific behavioural/human aspects of technological  
> dissemination within any given population. My focus happens to be  
> Foss, but it could actually be anything.
>
> The problem: all of us have doubtless encountered human obstacles  
> (so to speak) who resist clearly better technology and techniques  
> for producing and distributing it.  These people resist for  
> generally rational but personal reasons: they will lose power,  
> influence, their job if they acquiesce to the new order. You can't  
> really fault them and working with them is the generally the best  
> solution. But what studies are out there that examine this general  
> phenomenon, that could be characterized as, "Resisting the New"?  
> Again, Foss is my focus but it could be anything, or perhaps  
> anything sufficiently disruptive to a large enough group. I'd  
> suspect that anthropology has examined this best but I'd not be  
> surprised if behavioural economics has also taken on the issue. If  
> not, it's a fine subject :-) One need only choose a particular  
> technology, practice, issue.
>
> Thanks
> louis
>
>
> --
> Louis Suarez-Potts, PhD
> Community Manager, Sun Microsystems, Inc.
> OpenOffice.org
>
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