The Concept of Objects with Political Properties
The concept of objects with political properties sparks debate in culture. While they can be difficult to comprehend, there are artifacts that have political significance. The devices and systems created by people in a society have an effect on the social arrangement. These objects are associated with some kind of control and influence in a group environment. In this document, objects refer to human-created technical inventions, while politics refers to the distribution of power and influence in society (Winner 21).
Artifacts Embedded in Social and Economic Systems
Although it is clear that technologies have no politics, it may be seen as a surprise to learn that many artifacts are interwoven in the situations of the modern politics. In this argument of artifacts possessing political aspects, it can be seen clearly from the social or economic system in which the artifacts are embedded. Technology in itself has no political issues. However, the social or economic applications of the artifacts result to the arrangement of power or authority in a community. According to Winner, there are two ways in which the technological objects may reveal political qualities.
Design or Arrangement of Technical Systems
Firstly, the design or arrangement of a technical system may play a huge role in the arrangement of affairs in a community. Some artifacts are created or developed in a way that their operation will build and control the affairs of a given community (Winner 26). This creates a situation where the artifacts possess power and authority over the people in society. In such a case, the technologies developed by man may be seen to possess political qualities. The author gives an example of the bridges over the park ways in the Long Islands of the New York City. These structures were designed in such a way that they were tall enough to allow the passage of private cars but short for the passage of the public busses. In this way, the public buses mostly utilized by the poor people or the African Americans were denied access to the public beach. Although not many people would have noticed the structural peculiarity of such structures, it contained political qualities. The bridges had the power to control the affairs of the Long Islands. The blacks and the poor people were kept off the Jones Beach. From this scenario, it is clear that the artifacts may have political qualities that lead to the arrangement of the affairs of a community.
Inherent Political Technologies
The second way in which artifacts may have political qualities is through the inherent political technologies (Winner 35). Some technologies developed by man require the community to have a certain social order for them to operate. Therefore, the application of such artifacts requires the community to adopt a certain political structure or relationships. Innovations such as the nuclear power or atomic bomb need society to take a centralized political structure. Therefore, such artifacts influence the political aspects of a community. Other technologies such as solar power may be decentralized. Therefore, such technical devices enhance the development of a decentralized political structure in society.
Conclusion
From the discussions of this paper, it can be concluded that indeed artifacts have political qualities. Although it is hard to understand, technologies influence the power arrangement in a community. This can be through the design of the artifacts that control the affairs in a community and inherent political aspects of technologies.
Work Cited
Winner, Langdon. The Whale and the Reactor: A Search for Limits in an Age of High Technology. Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1986. Print.
