Sense, Society, Skill

Arnold Pacey argues that the meaning of a particular technology or skill depends not only on conformity with rules but on sensation and on social meaning.

For instance, “A cook who does not enjoy the colors, textures, and scents of food in different stages of preparation never becomes skilled at the job. But the cook is also motivated by awareness of the social purpose and context of the meals he or she prepares. Similarly, inventors, engineers, and artisans may have intense personal experience of materials, or of sweetly running machines, but at the same time, they are also members of society, responding to public enthusiasms, political influences, economic conditions, and other aspects of their social environment. The inventors of television, for example, were well aware of the social meanings of the theater, music hall, and cinema, and were aware also of the potential of combining the visual, dramatic appeal of these media with the immediacy of radio.”