Returning to the Philosophical Roots of Sociomateriality

Abstract

Sociomateriality is a growing research stream in the field of IS. In response to an increasingly complex and interconnected world, sociomateriality researchers have proposed a view of relational ontological fusion. This view transcends the conventional framework of assuming a clear distinction between the social and the material. In this paper, we argue that the fundamental difference between sociomateriality and the conventional view lies on the ontological level, not on the epistemological or methodological levels. But without a return to its philosophical roots, sociomateriality remains obscure and confusing. To better inform researchers, we return to the original works of two Western philosophers, Heidegger and McLuhan, who both share the view of ontological fusion in proposing their arguments on how the entanglement of technology and the human agent precludes access to a primordial truth. In this paper, we reflect on these philosophical works, providing a solid foundation for this new approach. We argue that the sociomateriality approach can open the black box of the epistemological bias that stems from habitual systemic thinking. This study contributes to the less-researched area of unintentional consequences of technology. The paper also provides practical, alternative methods that can help in furthering this approach in future studies.