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From: eggert@twinsun.com (Paul Eggert)
Newsgroups: comp.society
Subject: Summary and review of ``Reading All About Computerization''
Message-ID: <2083@limbo.Intuitive.Com>
Date: 18 Jun 91 22:05:36 GMT
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Summary:  Rob Kling's article ``Reading All About Computerization'' says that
writings about computing generally fall into the following classes:

	(1) _Utopian_ writings, the majority, argue or assume that life
	will be better if we use new computing technology.

	(2) _Anti-utopian_ writings say it'll be worse.
	Both (1) and (2) oversimplify reality.

	(3) _Social realism_ reports real observations about computing,
	but it is too detailed.  This is typical for journalists.

	(4) _Social theory_ is more abstract, e.g. web models say you
	have to study the whole social system, not just computers separately.

	(5) _Analytical reductionism_ reduces everything to a few key
	concepts; this is controversial.

Review:  Kling favors (4) and (5), areas to which he has contributed.
But he gives little evidence that these writings produce new insights.
Instead, they merely restate commonsense ideas using academic jargon.
People involved with computerization might find it more useful to read the
primary sources for (1) through (3), and then think about the big
picture themselves.

Paul Eggert