Matt Ratto
In this paper, I argue that a key problem for understanding the social ramifications
of software is an implicit separation of software programs into two separate
elements: expressive aspects which are seen as socially driven and affectual,
and functional aspects understood as scientific and rational. In order to overcome
this binary, I develop an alternative framework that examines the ways software
expresses best practices, correct behaviors, and social organization. A key
element of this framework is an understanding of software programs as simultaneously
rhetorical and tangible objects. Given that western society is dependent on
socio-technical systems in which software plays a crucial role, understanding
the complex ways software expresses normative tasks, practices, and social orders
is increasingly important.