Technological Mediation in Construction: Postphenomenological Inquiry into Digital Technologies
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 145, Issue 12
Abstract
Postphenomenology adds to the intentional relationship between subject and object (as in phenomenology) the fundamental mediated character through technologies. The focus in postphenomenology is on understanding the different roles that technologies play in the relationships between humans and the world. This study’s objective is to assess the applicability of Ihde’s postphenomenological model of human–technology relationships when exploring the impact of digital technologies on human–technology relationships in construction processes. To accommodate the different forms of human–technology relationship, a mature digital technology was chosen as the subject of a set of case studies: radio-frequency identification (RFID). Based on a literature review and interviews, the different roles that RFID applications play in human–technology relationships are explored in terms of the four human–technology relations proposed by Ihde: embodiment, hermeneutic, alterity, and background relations. It is in the context of these relations that the impact of digital technologies in construction in general is assessed.
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Data Availability Statement
Data generated or analyzed during the study are available from the corresponding author upon request. Information about the Journal’s data-sharing policy can be found here: http://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001263.
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Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 145 • Issue 12 • December 2019
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©2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Sep 7, 2018
Accepted: Apr 9, 2019
Published online: Oct 10, 2019
Published in print: Dec 1, 2019
Discussion open until: Mar 10, 2020
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