Book Review: Political Machines: Governing a Technological Society

The intersection of politics and technology is a crucial one, both for new and old media. It is an intersection that cannot be ‘read-off ’ from social constructivist accounts of technology nor can technology simply be treated as a tool utilized by politicians and political activists. Barry approaches the relations between or problems of politics and technology by noting that the idea of a ‘technological society’ is widely employed within politics. He then uses this notion as a lever to open up relations of technology and politics to inspection, particularly focusing on issues arising in the context of the European Community. Barry refuses to assert technological society as yet another new form of society, alongside such inventions as the risk society, information society, network society and so on. Rather he uses this term to interrogate relations between technology, government and politics. Instead of categorizing society, Barry follows through the various articulations of, and attempts to create a notion of, a technological society. This is a very open and incisive orientation that bears the marks of actor-network theory, some other social studies of science and Foucault-inspired work on governance, and it allows Barry to develop a number of excellent case studies. These studies include the production of ‘air quality’ as an object within the context of European standards, the negotiation of intellectual property rights across Europe and the development of technical standards. Barry also explores the role the metaphor of ‘network’ has played in European development and the re-conception of science education in debates over interactivity, particularly as developed in Science Museums worldwide. Finally, the ways noninstitutionalized political activists produce sites of demonstrations is examined. Throughout these case studies Barry clearly and judiciously opens up the complexity and social negotiations that involve technologies in political Book reviews