Two Ultracentrifuges: A Comparative Study of the Social Construction of Artefacts

Abstract

The social constructivist approach to the development of technology is adopted to study the development of two ultracentrifuges which have emerged somewhat independently of each other. In a comparative analysis of these two cases, the socially constructed character of the artefacts is demonstrated: it is shown that the different designs of the two ultracentrifuges reflect the different meanings attributed to them by the researchers involved. Finally, two important aspects are identified which should play a role in theoretical explanations of the developmental process of technological artefacts.