Artikel

Naar een herwaardering en herdefiniëring van het structuurbegrip in de (agrarische) sociologie: het (niet) gebruik van managementcomputers in de Nederlandse landbouw

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Abstract

Towards a revaluation and redefinition of ’structure’ in (agrarian) sociology. The (non) use of management computers in Dutch agriculture - This article starts from the assertion that ’user-blame’ and/or individualist explanations fall short in explaining the (non) use of computer programmes by farmers. It is proposed that the (non) use of such programmes must be understood as an outcome of active negotiations between a variety of actors (e.g. farmers, software developers, scientists and bureaucrats) in a specific social context. At the same time, a need is recognized to connect such ’micro-interactional’ explanations with processes at macro level. It is argued that actor-oriented theoretical approaches in (agrarian) sociology do not provide the adequate concepts to make such connections. Hence, an alternative approach is developed which can be regarded as a constructivist interpretation of Giddens’ structuration theory, inspired by the work of Knorr-Cetina and Latour. In this approach, ’structure’ is conceptualized as being based on mutual knowledge and ignorance. The approach is tested and illustrated by means of a ’structural’ analysis of the Dutch agro-informatics domain.

How to Cite:

Leeuwis, C., (1996) “Naar een herwaardering en herdefiniëring van het structuurbegrip in de (agrarische) sociologie: het (niet) gebruik van managementcomputers in de Nederlandse landbouw”, Tijdschrift voor Sociale Wetenschappen 41(3), 268–285. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/tvsw.95240