Week 11 Reading

Schultz, Pit. Latour, Bruno: On Actor Network Theory: A Few Clarifications 1/2

The Actor-Network Theory (ANT)

Misuse of the term ‘networks’ has lead to misunderstandings within the actor-network theory. For example:

1. Networks are given a technical meaning, such as a train network or telephone network. A technical network in this state is only one of the possible final and stabilised state of an actor-network.

2. The ANT has little to do with the study of social networks. The word actor, or actant, is extended to non-human, non individual entities. Whereas social network adds information on the relations of humans in the social and natural world. Social networks are included in ANT, but are not prominent or seen as of greater importance.

The ANT claims that modern societies cannot be described without recognising them as having a fibrous character that is never captured by existing theories without being influenced by their existing politics, layers, or territories.