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Actor-network theory

Actor-network theory
Broadly speaking, ANT is a constructivist approach in that it avoids essentialist explanations of events or innovations (e.g. explaining a successful theory by understanding the combinations and interactions of elements that make it successful, rather than saying it is “true” and the others are “false”). However, it is distinguished from many other STS and sociological network theories for its distinct material-semiotic approach. Background and context[edit] ANT appears to reflect many of the preoccupations of French post-structuralism, and in particular a concern with non-foundational and multiple material-semiotic relations. At the same time, it was much more firmly embedded in English-language academic traditions than most post-structuralist-influenced approaches. From about 1990 onwards, ANT started to become popular as a tool for analysis in a range of fields beyond STS. A material-semiotic method[edit] The actor-network[edit] Human and non-human actors[edit] Translation[edit]

interactive advertisement and the actor-network theory

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