Fox, N.J. (2011) Boundary objects, social meanings and the success of new technologies. Sociology, 45 (1). 70 - 85. ISSN 0038-0385
Abstract
Boundary objects are entities that enhance the capacity of an idea, theory or practice to translate across culturally defined boundaries, for example, between communities of knowledge or practice. This concept thus has potential to both explain and predict technology adoption; however, it remains sociologically under-theorized. This article assesses, by recourse to a historical case study of innovations in surgical sterility, how boundary objects work and their relationship to social meanings within communities of practice. It is concluded that not only are there positive and negative boundary objects, but that technological devices or processes may themselves act as facilitative or inhibitory boundary objects during innovation. The approach set out here has potential as a sociologically informed model of improving adoption of technologies and policies by managing the positive and negative social meanings of technology objects.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2011 Sage. This is an author produced version of a paper subsequently published in Sociology. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | boundary object; community of practice; innovation; medicine; technology; ACTOR-NETWORK THEORY; SCIENCE |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health (Sheffield) > School of Health and Related Research (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 04 Dec 2013 16:02 |
Last Modified: | 22 Mar 2018 14:44 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0038038510387196 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Sage |
Identification Number: | 10.1177/0038038510387196 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:76838 |