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| Author: | Arnold, M. |
| Title: | On the phenomenology of technology: the "Janus-faces" of mobile phones |
| Journal: | Information and Organization
2003 : VOL. 13:4, p. 231-256 |
| Index terms: | Mobile phones Philosophy Social research |
| Language: | eng |
| Abstract: | It is argued in this paper that technologies perform in Janus faced ways; there are ironic, perverse and paradoxical, and it is argued that these qualities are important to apprehend if we are to more fully understand the role of technology in organizations and in our daily lives. The argument opens with an account of Janus as a metaphorical evocation of irony and paradox, and general examples of Janus faced technologies are given. It is argued of these that the most satisfactory account is provided by 1) Heidegger's suggestion that our world is enframed by techonology, taken together with 2) a logic of sociotechnical systems based in relational and hybrid ontologies. This sketch on the philosophical landscape occupied by Janus is followed by a interpretation of the specific case of mobile phones, which provides concrete and hopefully vivid examples of the Janus faced performance of technology. |
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