Technology in Working Order: Studies of Work, Interaction and Technology

Within the social sciences there is growing interest in the contribution that can be made to the uses, design, operation and implementation of New Technology. Much funding and research has gone into empirically based enquiries in the field which have led to important developments in a range of industrial and practical settings. Much of the work already done has concentrated on the cognitive sciences and ergonomics, to look at the practicalities of the way humans use machines. This book brings together new and original research from sociology to look at how the subject can be of direct relevance to developments in industry. Subjects covered range from introducing technology into the lives of air traffic controllers and the police, to studies of simulated human-computer interaction and the use of "intelligent machines" in medical settings. Contributors include Bob Anderson, Douglas Benson, Harry Collins, Norman Fraser, Richard Harper, Joanne Hartland, Christian Heath, John Hughes, Kathleen Jordan, Paul Luff, Michael Lynch, Wes Sharrock, Lucy Suchman, Robin Wooffitt.