In this blog post, we will examine the relationship between technological determinism and social constructionism, and explore how technology and society have influenced each other and evolved over time.
Throughout human history, society has been in a state of constant evolution. From the very inception of the concept of “society” through the Middle Ages and into modern civilization, the nature of society has continuously changed and developed, ultimately giving rise to the advanced society we see today. And even at this very moment, society continues to change and evolve. However, this development has not been driven by society alone. Technological advancement has always accompanied social progress. From Gutenberg’s movable-type printing to the Renaissance, and from the invention of machinery to the Industrial Revolution, human history is replete with countless examples where social and technological progress have been intertwined.
So, between society and technology, which is the cause and which is the effect? While some argue that technological advancement brings about revolutionary changes in society, others contend that social demands drive technological progress. These perspectives are known as “technological determinism” and “social constructivism,” respectively.
“Technological determinism” is the view that technology is the key driving force behind social change. It holds that technological advancement transforms social structures, culture, and the economy, serving as the primary cause of social change. In contrast, “social constructivism” argues that technology is also a product of society and develops in response to social demands. It posits that various social factors—such as politics, economics, organizations, and culture—determine the direction of technological development, and that technology is ultimately a social construct.
My point is that both of these perspectives are valid. Technology and society do not exist in a relationship where one unilaterally changes the other; rather, they have grown together while influencing each other. So, what is the criterion that distinguishes these two perspectives? I believe this criterion can be found in the relationship between the level of technological development and the level of social consciousness.
Let’s look at the prehistoric era. At that time, people were in the process of learning how to live together to increase their chances of survival. Starting with family-based tribes, multiple tribes came together to form a single village, and people sought ways to ensure the survival of both themselves and their community. As a result, we can see that the technologies of that era—such as stone knives and millstones—were developed.
Later, as settlements gradually grew larger, the need for technological advancement became apparent; the development of agricultural and architectural technologies paved the way for future civilizations. Examining this process reveals that the technology of that time had not yet advanced to the point of bringing about revolutionary changes in society. In other words, technology struggled to keep pace with the development of social consciousness; it can be seen as having evolved not so much out of an intrinsic need for technology itself, but rather in response to social demands and environmental necessities.
The economic and organizational demands of feeding the entire village population drove the development of agricultural technology, while the need to survive in cold regions or inhospitable environments spurred the advancement of architectural and housing technologies. Thus, without such social stimuli, technological development would have been difficult at that time. Furthermore, during the Middle Ages, technological development was often limited by the nature of social structures, and the pace of technological advancement varied significantly depending on the region and era.
However, technology—which had developed due to social factors—gradually began to acquire its own independent driving force. The Industrial Revolution marked a pivotal turning point when technology surpassed the level of social consciousness. The growth of industry necessitated faster and greater production, which was made possible by steam-powered machinery.
However, mechanical technology had such a powerful impact that it went beyond merely meeting social demands to transform the structure of society as a whole. It can be said that, from this period onward, technology had grown to a level capable of transforming social structures. With the invention of machinery, various products that had previously been accessible only to certain social classes began to be mass-produced, and essential goods—including clothing—could be supplied to a much larger population. Furthermore, the development of railroads and automobiles, which replaced horse-drawn carriages, greatly expanded the speed and range of people’s mobility, while production activities that had once taken a long time could now be carried out much more quickly and efficiently through the use of machinery.
At that time, society was structured around a class system, divided between the nobility—who possessed large quantities of essential goods such as food and clothing—and the commoners, who did not. However, following the Industrial Revolution, productivity improved significantly, allowing commoners to enjoy a much more prosperous life than before. As a result, the existing class-based society gradually began to transform into one where economic classes were distinguished by the scale of capital, and this change spread to various societies.
Of course, there were societies that did not immediately embrace these changes, and since societies around the world were not closely interconnected at the time, technological advancements did not bring about identical changes in every society. However, advances in aviation technology greatly expanded travel and exchange between nations, connecting regions around the world more closely and playing a crucial role in the globalization we see today. This can be considered one of the prime examples of technology driving social change.
From this point onward, society and technology entered into a relationship in which they mutually influenced each other’s pace of development. Within the transformed social structure following the Industrial Revolution, people adapted to new environments, and as a result, social awareness and expectations also rose. Consequently, situations requiring new technologies continued to arise. When the efficiency of early steam engines reached its limits, more efficient power engines were developed, and thereafter, new energy sources and various technologies continued to emerge to overcome the limitations of existing technologies. In this way, social demands have consistently driven technological advancement.
Meanwhile, technological advancements themselves have also significantly transformed society. A prime example is the development of computers. Computer technology drove the rapid advancement of information and communications technology (ICT), and society swiftly transitioned into a digital society within a short period. Furthermore, with the spread of the Internet and information and communications networks, countries around the world became much more closely connected than before, and—with the exception of a few nations facing significant environmental and economic constraints—social change based on digital technology progressed rapidly in most countries.
In this way, society and technology have developed together while maintaining a continuous and mutually complementary relationship. Technology has continued to advance, leading to the emergence of various smart devices, including smartphones, and these technologies have significantly transformed the very way modern people live. Society and technology—the two pillars that have driven modern society—have promoted each other’s development, with society sometimes leading technology and technology sometimes rapidly transforming society.
Ultimately, it is difficult to assert that one always takes precedence over the other. Social demands can give rise to new technologies, just as newly emerging technologies can transform social structures, culture, and the economy. Therefore, rather than viewing technological determinism and social constructivism as completely opposing theories, it is more reasonable to understand them as perspectives that explain, from different angles, the fact that technology and society influence each other and develop together.
