Social construction of technology (also referred to as
SCOT) is a theory within the field of
Science and Technology Studies. Advocates of SCOT—that is,
social constructivists—argue that technology does not determine human action, but that rather, human action shapes technology. They also argue that the ways a technology is used cannot be understood without understanding how that technology is embedded in its social context. SCOT is a response to
technological determinism and is sometimes known as technological constructivism.