IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - March 2022 - 51

Figure 7. Technology-mediated
co-construction of HE groups (HE↔T↔HE).
For describing the co-construction of two technologies
by the mediation of an HE group, the reaction
of T2 has to be noticed. Actually, the influence
of T2 on T1 is not impossible; however, in this competition,
the unequal power of these two technologies
determines the victor and the vanquished. Then, as
discussed in a previous section about the technology-mediated
co-construction between HE groups,
technologies also have to be considered as being
heterogeneous.
Observing daily cases of changes in technologies
and societies by considering these two types of
co-constructions, a global network consisting of various
nodes by different values and levels of power is
revealed, which can be called the global networked
heterogeneous co-construction of technologies
and engineers.
Advantages of the " global networked
heterogeneous co-construction of
technologies and engineers "
Following Feenberg's approach, two features
of the presented model were discussed: first, technology-mediated
co-construction of HE groups
(HE↔T↔HE) and, second, the HEs-mediated
co-construction of technologies (T↔HE↔T).
After the immediate co-construction of technology
and HE groups (T↔HE), where a specific
technology is co-constructed with some HEs
directly, these two types of mediated co-constructions
are the nearest ones in the global network.
In other words, these two are the joints of
the global network. Indeed, in the presented network,
there are numerous chains of co-construction
consisting of these two blocks (HE↔T↔HE
and T↔HE↔T). A more profound understanding
of these blocks will lead to a more comprehensive
analysis of these complex chains.
In addition to our discussion about the two
of the
blocks, considering some other features
model will help us to better understand it, and
March 2022
Figure 8. HEs-mediated co-construction of
technologies (T↔HE↔T).
also to demonstrate its power to analyze different
cases of technology development, and some recent
socio-technical phenomena.
* World as a whole: This model not only considers
the role of different local HEs, as in Law's
approach, but also ponders the role of other HEs
all around the world, mediated by global interconnections
participating in different technology
developments. Reciprocal relationship between
each two nodes of the network renders it as a
whole, where changes in each technology or HE
can influence the other elements in the network.
* " Heterogeneous network " instead of " HEs " : In
the global co-construction battle, different technologies
and HE groups have different levels of
power. The power of a technology comes from
its immediate HEs. Therefore, in the global network
offered here, each node (a technology or
an HE group) has a different weighting, so " heterogeneous
network " is suggested. This emphasis
on the heterogeneity of the network can be very
useful for observing some recent socio-technical
phenomena in developing countries, which are
more affected in mediated co-constructions with
more developed countries.
* Considering the unmediated and mediated
co-constructions of different players (including
various technologies and HEs), this model proposes
a cloud relationship among members of
the global network of co-construction. From this
aspect, a specific technology is a production of
several unmediated or mediated co-constructions
of different HEs and other technologies
around the cloud domain. This viewpoint can
be useful and even undeniable when technology
development is scrutinized.
* Although this model focuses on the role of HEs that
are globally networked in the development of technologies,
the inclusion and flexibility of the model
can provide a framework to analyze other nodes
of the network. Changes in economy, politics, or
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