Governing the conduct of computing: computer science, the social sciences and framework of computing

Abstract

Social science concepts and techniques have been bound up with computing since its earliest days. This relationship is described in terms of three distinct “frameworks of computing”, historically specific ways of understanding, working with and developing computer systems. Each framework has different understanding of the “real” and desirable relations between people and computers, and a concern that hardware and software shouldre flect these relations. They render some forms of computing thinkable and desirable, whilst ruling out others—to a considerable extent they govern the conduct of computing, in both basic R & D and in commercial and organizational development. The frameworks are not purely internal to the historical development of computing, but nor are they the direct effect of any single external factor. They also overlap with each other in different configurations within computing, and two such sites are described in more detail: human-computer interaction and computer-supported cooperative work. In conclusion, firstly some suggestions are offered for further research, in particular the possibility that new frameworks are being assembled as computing converges with the media industries; and secondly the form of analysis is presented as being complementary to many existing aproaches, through occupying a middle ground between traditional scientific and historical methodologies, and the emergent focus on contextuallity, difference and deconstruction.