III TECHNOLOGY AND VALUES

The emphasis on sociotechnical systems in this book may, at first, seem academic. Why is it so important to understand that technology and society are woven together? That users shape machines? That devices cannot exist without social practices? That technology is influenced by a myriad of social factors and relies on individual and institutional behavior? One answer is that when we recognize that technology is sociotechnical ensembles, we are better able to see how human values affect and are affected by technology. If we care about making our lives better in the future, we need to understand how values influence the character of the future through technologies. This section is designed to reveal and unravel how this works. We want the future to embody values we hold dear. We want our future lives and those of future generations to be safe, comfortable, peaceful, healthy, and secure. We want socially just arrangements and sustainable practices. Understanding how values are entwined with sociotechnical systems is crucial to steering technology to a desirable future.