Networks of Association and Due Process in Is Development

One feature of modernism is that it artificially separates technology from society. But the notion of two collectives inherent in such an idea presents IS researchers and others with problems of representation that tend to favour one over the other. Thus we see the emergence of conflicting theories: technological determinism on the one hand, theories about the social shaping of technology on the other. Nor do traditional sociotechnical approaches ameliorate these difficulties, since they still regard technology and society as fundamentally separate entities demanding and requiring different treatments. Here we present a process model based on networks-of-association (sometimes called actor network theory), which allows us to work with the single collective that is absolutely necessary if we are to develop a true sociotechnical approach. The Van Sant satellite map of the Earth provides an analogy for information systems design and construction, as well as a means of illustrating our tale.