The Anthropology of Techniques Approach For Information and Communication Objects

M Agostinelli (1) , Marie Ouvrard-Servanton (2)

1 LSIS - Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Information et des Systèmes
2 ADEF - Apprentissage, Didactique, Evaluation, Formation

This article offers a hierarchy of definitions for information and communication digital objects. We define gradually, object, tool, instrument, device, and the artifact. These definitions specify (a) the nature of these objects that organize our thinking, but are also the product thereof, (b) their function of both intellectual and practical for everyday experiences, (c) interest in causing different types of questions or problems. Our anthropological approach of digital objects admits that man shows everyday skills to understand these objects. This understanding is the heart of the problem. It amalgamates formal reality built by tools and techniques to informal reality built by technological society and digital culture. Therefore, this understanding is limited to arguments of human activity, objects are then used to make and thinking the activity becomes secondary. We forget the importance of objects in the construction of our representation of the world. We forget the objects ask a study of human capabilities and they are substance of human knowledge socially shared at some point.

Mots clés: Object; tool; device; artifact

Domaines: Sciences de l'information et de la communication

M Agostinelli, Marie Ouvrard-Servanton. The Anthropology of Techniques Approach For Information and Communication Objects. ARPN Journal of Science and Technology, 2013, 3. ⟨hal-01444216⟩