Actor-Network Theory in Sociotechnical Systems

Actor-Network Theory (ANT) offers a relational lens for examining sociotechnical systems by dissolving the divide between social and technical elements. Developed within science and technology studies (STS), ANT treats both humans and non-humans as actants whose associations form dynamic networks. Core concepts such as translation, black-boxing and obligatory passage points elucidate how knowledge, power and materiality circulate, stabilise or transform. Empirical applications span urban infrastructure, environmental governance, digital platforms and public health, demonstrating the often invisible agencies of artefacts—from policy documents and models to sensors and built environments. By tracing the enrolment and alignment of diverse actants, ANT enables detailed reconstructions of how sociotechnical realities emerge, persist or fade. This approach has global significance for understanding sustainable transitions, regulatory processes and the governance of complex systems, offering concrete insights for design, policy and civic engagement.

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Actor-Network Theory in Sociotechnical Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in actor-network theory in sociotechnical systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Actor-network theory (ANT): A framework that treats human and non-human entities as equally significant actors (actants) in the formation of relational networks.

Actant: Any entity, animate or inanimate, that possesses agency and contributes to the enactment of a network.

Translation: The process by which an actant’s interests are negotiated, redefined and aligned within a network.

Black box: A stabilised assemblage of relations or technologies whose internal complexity is hidden or taken for granted.

Obligatory passage point: A critical juncture or artefact that all actors must engage with, thereby structuring the network’s topology.

References

1. Using Actor–Network Theory to understand planning practice: Exploring relationships between actants in regulating low-carbon commercial development. Planning Theory (2012).
2. Exploring the Organizational Proliferation of New Technologies: An Affective Actor-Network Theory. Organization Studies (2019).
3. Making pandemics big: On the situational performance of Covid-19 mathematical models. Social Science & Medicine (2022).