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Explaining Why Biological Warfare Cannot be Explained with the SCOT Theory, Actor-Network Theory and Technological Systems Theory

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The purpose of this essay is to explain why it will be a problem to explain biological warfare with the SCOT theory, actor-network theory and technological systems theory.

Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) is a theory that was introduced by Weiber Bijker that explains the link between social and technical processes of a technology or artifact. Bjiker argued that technology is shaped by human engineers, market forces, consumer’s needs and demands. In SCOT, technology is a social construction. Because technology is socially constructed, it involves flexibility of interpretations, stabilization and closure.

Biological warfare cannot be explained by SCOT theory because stabilization and closure which is the cornerstone of the …show more content…

Among the components of technological systems are physical artifacts, such as biological weapon agents, aerosols, milling machines, microscopes. Technological systems also include organizations such as terrorist groups, governments and manufacturing laboratories. Legislative artifacts such as treaties and protocols can also be part of technological systems. Overtime, technological systems tend to join environmental factors into the system- eliminating uncertainty ("free market"). They are goal oriented: reordering of the material world to make it more productive. As technological systems develop after a long period acquire momentum which makes the system have more influence on society- it will begin to shape society.

The reason technological systems concept will be unable to explain biological warfare is because Hughes assumed that the society can resist the momentum of a technology if they act earlier. In the production and use of biological weapons, the majority of the public are outsiders therefore, even if the “society” is aware of biological weapon technology in its early stage, their voice would not have any influence on the technology compared to the insiders (experts like microbiologists and organizations).

Actor-network theory, sometimes abbreviated to ANT, is a sociological theory developed by Bruno Latour, Michel Callon and John Law. The primary tenet of actor-network theory is the concept that

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