Technology and the Panoptican

Reading Roys blog about the use of Blackberrys made me think about one of my other interest areas - the psychology of the use of technology. I have placed a few notes in the psychology forum, but thought a blog would be appropriate.

I have just joined technocrati
Technorati Profile

and it made me think also about the links between these types of electronic social networks, and PDA's and other handhelds that further help us to keep in touch.

There was a view at one time that electronic networking allows more autonomous and flexible working, but research has suggested that it can actually lead to increased job insecurity (as we all panic about whether our boss has tried to contact us or found something out on MySpace etc), and of course the
increased possibility for (indirect) management surveillance and performance monitoring. If you can always be contacted, but don't know when you are going to be contacted, it can indeed feel like a panoptican situation (see Roys blog - http://www.bizface.co.uk/bizfaceforu...-movement.html)

Research also indicates that even at work the use of technology is actually increasing the divide between 'professional' and 'admin' groups (as the professionals can charge around with Blackberrys in tow whereas the admin are still constrained physically, although - at least in principle the admin still work set hours).

Another influential theory that can help to inform is Labour Process Theory:
The organizational effects of technological change are entirely a product of the need to control the labour process in order to increase profits... (McLoughlin, 1999: 51)


Although there are criticisms of these rather deterministic accounts of technology, they can be quite insightful. I do tend to prefer considering the influence of human action, and how technology gets 'enacted' (particularly in business). What becomes the normal thing to do in one group does not necessarily filter through to all.

But more on that later!