Abstract
The term ‘actor network theory’ (ANT) combines two words usually considered as opposites: actor and network. It is reminiscent of the old, traditional tensions at the heart of the social sciences, such as those between agency and structure or micro- and macro-analysis. Yet, ANT, also known as the sociology of translation, is not just another attempt to show the artificial or dialectical nature of these classical oppositions. On the contrary, its purpose is to show how they are constructed and to provide tools for analyzing that process. One of the core assumptions of ANT is that what the social sciences usually call ‘society’ is an ongoing achievement. ANT is an attempt to provide analytical tools for explaining the very process by which society is constantly reconfigured. What distinguishes it from other constructivist approaches is its explanation of society in the making, in which science and technology play a key part.
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