Sociology research path to explore non -human things
October 17, 2023 11:25 Source: "China Social Sciences", October 17, 2023, Issue 2752, author: Tan Hongze

"Society" includes non -human things? Does non -human objects have sociality in the sense of the subject?。The so -called non -human object,refers to the physical entity that is not human,Including technical inventions、Artificial objects、Build an environment、All -human existence of animals and plants。These entities are not the main object of traditional sociological research。But in recent years,More and more scholars are aware of,Want to understand the many realistic issues of the current society,Can't avoid the non -human object contained in these issues,Especially technical invention。In this context,Social scholars are re -examining the relationship between non -human things and society。

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The understanding of non -human things in traditional sociology 

Looking at the history of sociology,In fact, non -human things have always existed in the research field of scholars。Technical invention、Artificial landscape、Artificial landscape、Natural elements and geographical environment often appear in classical、Modern and Contemporary Almost all sociological theories and experience research works。or,In fact, social scholars cannot talk about and study a society that does not include non -human things。

but,This does not mean that the sociological research of non -human things has always existed。Just the opposite,Although non -human things are frequently mentioned by researchers in the works,bet365 live casino games But it is not part of society under the context of sociological context。In traditional sociological research,Whether it is adhering to the only theory of society or the realism,A basic consensus of the researchers is: society refers to the collection of people,The object of sociological research is also human。and for non -human things,Generally there are several understanding。

First, treat non -human things as a material basis for social existence,The so -called material environment or restriction conditions。Second, treat non -human things as tools or media for the action and interaction of different actors in society,or resources that people can mobilize and use in social life。Third is to regard things as a carrier of the meaning symbol,The material attribute of the material itself is not important,The important thing is the cultural meaning attached or carried on it。

So,In traditional sociological research,Non -human and society is a closed system that has a boundary with each other。Say more accurately,Non -human things and people are two types of distinctive、The existence entity that is not compatible。Things can be a tool for the existence of people and the environment and use of activities,But it does not have sociality in the sense of the main body except the cultural symbol carrier。Simply put,Social subjects do not include objects,It does not have the social nature of the subject and the sense of movement。But this view,In recent years, it has been being reflected and revised by sociological researchers in recent years。

  "things" as the main body: 

Explore the social existence of non -human things 

Starting in the 1990s,Bet365 app download A group of researchers who re -think and explore non -human things in the western academic community have emerged.,Material steering of sociological research。To some extent,The definition of society as a community that is completely composed of man actually implies the superiority of human centerism and strong self -confidence in human rationality。"People -Things" two points in this sense,or the distinction between society and non -human things,In fact, it is in the real sense、People and abstract sense in specific situations、Humans in absolute context are mixed with a talk。The rapid development of modern society has increasingly revealing this confusion。

Theoretically speaking,All technical inventions and artificial objects are products of human activity,Also used by humans。but,For a person who is in a specific space -time situation,,A non -human thing he contacts in social operations is likely to have the same or even his ability to surpass him,Can have an impact beyond his control。The increasingly accelerated social division of labor and de -domain of modern society,Make non -human things can be used as a closed and complete existing entity to appear in front of people,Become a person in this situation at this time needs to be equal to the main body of the action or even the command。This is what French sociologist Latur said "We are subject to what we created"。This subject is not a constraint in the sense of environmental restrictions,Instead, it refers to the substantial impact of objects as an interactive body directly on related human actors。

but,The subjectivity of this non -human thing Bet365 lotto review cannot be directly equivalent to the subjectivity of human beings。After all,A mobile phone or an aircraft will not have the intention or motivation of Weber's semantics。Anyone who has social influence in a specific situation,Actually, it will be long -distance、Maternal Related Network Black Box of Macross Network Black Boxes formed by itself。So,Non -human things have dual social attributes: on the one hand,It appears with closed and complete actors in a specific situation,interaction with other social subjects in the same moment and have an impact。On the other hand,It itself has the openness of leaping time and space,You can connect a series of subjects that are not here at this time,Similar and anonymous zone into the current interaction。

If this is only that,So the social attributes of non -human things seem to be completely shrouded under human rationality。but,There is a more unique dimension for the sociality of non -human things,The object will not be completely loyal、Pass the intention and strength of people without error。Simply put,During the social action process through things,Banding outside the intention must appear,This is the translation of things pointed out by the theorists of the actor network。Start from Merdon,Sociologists have always paid close attention,But the perspective of the analysis is mainly concentrated in the people itself,That is human cognition、Intent、Interest、Strategy, etc.。Actually,All social actions of a person must rely on non -human things to expand,and any specific、Human actors of reality cannot actually control Bet365 app download and predict these so -called "tools" and "resources"。So,Note the existence and change of non -human objects in a specific mobile chain,It provides a new exploration dimension for understanding the unprocessed rational actions。

Overall,Although the current academic community still has a large controversy for what is "subject" and "subjectivity",But realize the subjectivity of non -human things,or some energy and its actual impact,or some energy and its actual impact。Therefore,Scholars do what is society、How to study the society has new understanding and exploration。

  Tracking material connection status and its changes 

Now,Sociology's review and exploration of non -human things is still in progress。Although researchers in the field have not yet formed a unified research paradigm,But there are some common research concerns and orientation。where,One of the most vivid features is to recognize、Pay attention to and explore the real changes brought by the non -human things to a specific society。Say more accurately,The existence and change of the existence and changes of the non -human objects of an important constituent element of the society on the other subjects associated with it,and this influence of reproduction。

To achieve such concern,Researchers also need to explore new theory and methodology。In this regard,Origin from science, technology and social research,Subsequently, the rapidly generalized internet theory shows an enlightened exploration。An important proposition of the researcher of the road is,Researchers cannot play God overlooking the world,Because it is easy to fall into the arrogance bet365 best casino games of human rationality and speculation, it ignores the actual existence and role of non -human things。In order to better depict the social association containing things,Researchers should be like detectives,Cut in a little bit,Track one or more actors,Start with the change brought by it,Gradually explore and depict what it is located、Black box、Material connection network,Explore the change of this link state,Then analyze the impact of action,Exist the entire network system and its changes。

In this way,The object of the research is the dynamic existence between one and more。Non -human objects are not only tools and resources used in strategic operations dominated by tools.,It is a network embedded in the network、A moving element that will inevitably bring multiple effects and changes。So,Anyone,Researchers need to describe the changes brought about by its physical connection state through the tracking method。

Such an analysis path has the dual value of academic and reality。On the one hand,Researchers can start with experience reality and their changes,Cutting into the depiction and analysis of the changes in real society,Rich analysis objects,Extension of the analysis chain。On the other hand,This perspective naturally has realistic problem orientation and interdisciplinary nature,helps to overcome the cognitive fragmentation of cognitive fragmentation due to the specialization of disciplines,It is conducive to forming a more complicated understanding of reality issues,On the basis of this, a more targeted explanation and response to specific real social problems。but,This road is still in exploration Bet365 app download and development,How to rise from description to analysis、How to limit the analysis boundary、How to avoid generalization of associated theory,Researchers in the field of urgently need further exploration and response。

  (Author is an associate professor at the Department of Sociology of Nankai University) 

Editor in charge: Cui Bohan
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