01.11.2019
“Humans & Machines in Medical Context: Theoretical Reflections on Japan” Dr. Susanne Brucksch, German Institute for Japanese Studies (DIJ) Tokyo
Zeit: Montag, 11. November, 17-19 Uhr
Ort: Abteilung für Medizinische Ethik und Geschichte der Medizin der RUB, Malakowturm Julius Philipp, Markstr. 258a, 44797 Bochum, Seminarraum (7. Etage).
The relationship between technology and society has been considered by various disciplines including STS (Science and Technology Studies). Here, devices and instruments are not seen as neutral objects but as shaped by technology, human bodies, and the social context. The theoretical reflections proposed by Linda F. Hogle (2008) help to approach the human-machine relationship in medical context as well as their underlying values, medical practices, and knowledge production. However, the socio-cultural context of these sociotechnical settings remains often understudied. Hence, this presentation aims at elucidating how the “Japanese context” could be specified and theoretically approached regarding the mentioned aspects.
Japan makes a particular interesting case as it is regarded as one of the best medical service providers by the WHO (World Health Organization). What is more, the country counts as the third largest market for medical devices after the US and the EU, and displays an exceptionally high number of certain technologies per capita (e.g. CT and MRI). The government promotes technology solutions under its vision of a Society 5.0 covering technologies such as care robotics, telehealth networks, and assistive technologies. On the other hand, Japan is confronting a rapid aging society, shortage of healthcare professionals and rising cost for healthcare. To specify this context of the locale of Japan, this paper will particularly refer to the notion of “cultural shaping of technology” suggested by Rammert (2002). During the presentation, examples from research literature and case studies illustrate how the socio-cultural context and the making and application technologies intersect with each other.
Susanne Brucksch is principal researcher at the German Institute for Japanese Studies (DIJ) Tokyo. Before, she was senior research fellow at Freie Universität Berlin and visiting scholar at Waseda University in 2016. She obtained her PhD in Japanese Studies and Political Science at the University Halle-Wittenberg. Her research covers medical technologies, innovation, STS, policy studies, inter-organizational collaboration and environmentalism. At present, her research focusses on «Technical Innovation and Research Collaboration in Japan: The Field of Biomedical Engineering». She serves as chair of the advisory board of the German Centre for Science and Innovation (DWIH, since 2019) Tokyo and as member of the board and co-organizer of the STS-Section, within the German Association for Social Science Research on Japan (VSJF).
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Letzte Änderung: 20. Apr. 2023