Technology Within Every-Day-Life: What People Could Do - What People Can Do - What People Do. Towards Another Psychology of Technology in 21 th Century.

I am quite sure these two new paths may be a long way but are, prospectively, steps towards a human future leading to another use of technology, its media, and its aesthetics.

[1]

an abridged version of this paper was presented to the congress "Innovations for an e-Society: Challenges for Technology Assessment" (Berlin, Oct. 17-19, 2001: the cultural section; vide "http://www.itas.fzk.de/e-society"); former contributions of mine on media & technology appeared in German; vide "Computerisierte Le- bensführung" (Kunst & Therapie, 12/1987); "Bilder-Welten" (medium, 3/1987; en- larged version under another title: Die Rolle der elektronischen Medien in der Entwicklung der Künste, ed. Alphons Silbermann; P. Lang, 1987); "Technik - Me- dizin - Handeln" (Gesundheit und Medien, ed. Walter Nutz; Quintessenz, 1997).

This commentary however follows my own basic concept as published ten years ago as "The Utopian Paradigm" (Communications. The European Journal of Com- munication, ed. A. Silbermann/W. Nutz, 3/1991)

[2]

my own translation. Originally in German: "Die Technologie enthüllt das aktive Ver- halten des Menschen zur Natur, den unmittelbaren Produktionsprozess seines Le- bens, damit auch seiner gesellschaftlichen Lebensverhältnisse und der ihnen ent- quellenden geistigen Vorstellungen". - Whenever comparing to this passage - how confusing that concept "technology" a modernist sociologist like Manuel Castells actually presents in his prologue of "The Information Age: Economy, Society and Culture" altering explanans and explanandum when he remarks in a pseudo-Marxist phrase on the relationship between technology and society:

"To large extent technology expresses the ability of a society to propel itself into technological mastery through the institutions of society, including the state. The historical process through which this development of productive forces takes place earmarks the characteristics of technology and interweaving in social relationships." (pp. 12/13, sec.ed./1st vol.) [quotation in the German ed./translated by Reinhart Köss- ler, which appeared in autumn/fall 2001 at Leske + Budrich publ. house, p. 13]

The Author

Richard Albrecht is a social scientist and psychologist: http://richard-albrecht.de. He got his first Ph.D. in cultural studies (Dr.phil. 1976) and his second one in political science (Dr. rer.pol.habil. 1989). He is the author of more than a dozen books, about 650 other pieces, two curricula and a research manual. Richard Albrecht´s most impressive scholarly work is his essay ´The Utopian Paradigm´ (as published in 1991; an abridged version according to the theoretical concept was recently published within this network under the title: "Tertium: Ernst Bloch´s Foundation of ´The Utopian Paradigm´ As a Key Concept Within Cultural and Social Sciences Research Work"; http://www.hausarbeiten.de/faecher/hausarbeit/phg/25119.html). Before his retirement -in 1999- the author was a lecturer/reader at German universities (GH Siegen; WWU Munster, WH Mannheim). From 2001 to 2004 Richard Albrecht was an honourary judge, since 2002 he is the managing editor of rechtskultur.de, the online-magazine for Human Rights in Germany: http://de.geocities.com/earchiv21/rechtskulturaktuell.htm. As an free-lanced independent scholar Richard Albrecht is basically interested in (i) theories of human acting, and acting human; (ii) the meaning of fuzzy logics and dynamic processes within human actions, and (iii) another methodology related to

empirical research work within cultural studies. The author lives in Bad Muenstereifel in the very south of

Northrhine-Westphalia As an honourary capacity, Richard Albrecht is still teaching ´´Administrative Behaviour, As

Founded by the Social Sciences" (´Sozialwissenschaftliche Grundlagen des Verwaltungshandelns")

mailto

dr.richard.albrecht@gmx.net