| Abstract: | This article discusses the relationship in the U.S. between current symbolic interactionism and computer sciences—specifically, distributed artificial intelligence (DAI). The general thesis is twofold. First, current interactionist approaches to organization, science, and technology show a special affinity to goals and problems of DAI research, and in research style, methods, and theoretical concepts, symbolic interactionism can provide useful suggestions in the design of DAI systems. Second, a good way to analyze the relationship between computer sciences and symbolic interactionism is reflexive of theoretical concepts provided by interactionist approaches. In this sense, DAI is a “going concern” which extends across various fields and intersecting social worlds connected through a set of conceptual “boundary objects.” It is concluded that the interaction between technology and sociological thought must go beyond a mere exchange of ideas. What is required is continual, hands-on, trans-disciplinary collaboration. |
