Sociologizing the Machines

• In Event: 20220 - Section on Communication, Information Technology, and Media Sociology Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Section on Communication, Information Technology, and Media Sociology Roundtable V: Digital phenomena, broadly construed

Abstract

Today sociologists find themselves on fertile ground for transforming the boundaries of the discipline to include entities other than humans and even moving them to the center of the sociological imagination. This paper proposes the outlines of a sociology of machines for understanding human-machine relations, especially those that exceed the dominant normative frameworks. In the face of rising threats to forms of life and relationality, the paper insists on doing things otherwise, including sociological conduct itself. The paper proposes using creative methodologies such as research-creation as a way to reinvigorate sociology to develop its capacity to address the multiplicity of human machine relations.
This is a conceptual exercise that centers on machines that cannot be easily sublimated under frameworks of instrumentality, control, and management. This framework emerges out of the author’s empirical work looking at relations with useless machines, broken machines, or machines that are treated as legitimate social actors. This allows the outlines of a theory to emerge based on the recognition of multiplicity of machines as well as humans. Thus, while establishing itself on an alternative ontology that takes seriously the contributions of other-than-humans in constitution of social reality, it also moves beyond the view that machines simply extend the logic of the contemporary power structures.
While the framework emerges out of previous empirical work, here only the conceptual discussions have been included so as to show the sociological thinking behind the fieldwork. The paper opens with an introduction to the idea of sociology of machines; discusses relevant work in sociology that dealt with the AI question and technology; shows how machines can be included in social thought; and the place of creative methodologies in the discipline that help carve space for a living sociological conduct.

Author

• Ceyda Yolgormez, Concordia University