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Information Systems Frontiers
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This paper is a critique of the widely held belief that computers are valueneutral instruments whose uses are determined primarily by individual choice. The critique is based on an analysis of the social relations of technology which reveals the operation of three kinds of constraints on human choice: 1) intrinsic features of techology; 2) accidental features such as organizational structure; and 3) techno-cultural paradigms. These constraints will be explained and illustrated with examples from the world of computing. My aim is to show that some uses of computers are more likely than others to be adopted under particular, concrete historical circumstances. For example, the mere fact that computers can be used to improve the quality of work-life or to increase citizen participation in government does not mean that they will be so used. The assumption of value-neutrality is at variance with this observation; it distorts analysis of the social impact of computers and serves partisan interests. To achieve fairness and equity in the design of public policies, we must disabuse ourselves of the mistaken notion of value-neutrality.