Study on the generating process of the "hybrid intentionality" between human and ultrasound diagnostic technology in the case of Nuchal Translucency

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K23016
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0101:Philosophy, art, and related fields
• Research Institution: Jichi Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Watanabe Maiko 自治医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (60736908)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 合成志向性 / 技法 / 社会的関心 / 胎児 / 超音波画像診断機 / Nuchal Translucency

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Through the analysis of the "discovery" of "nuchal translucency", which appears at the posterior region of fetal neck on the sonographic image during limited period of pregnancy, this project aimed to contribute to the study of "morality of technology", which Peter Paul Verbeek initiated. As the result, the project provided two important factors to generate "hybrid intentionality" between human and technology; techniques to use a technology and social interest that facilitate the context, in which the technology is situated. This result requires the scholars of "morality of technology" to focus more on the subjective function of human outside of the process of designing technology.

Free Research Field

科学技術社会論

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の学術的成果は、Nuchal Translucencyの「発見」を事例として、Verbeekが提唱した、人と技術が相互に関係しながら生成する「合成志向性」を構成する重要な要素として、技術を使う人の「技能」と技術が使われる社会的文脈を基礎づける「社会的関心」に着眼し、人と技術の相互的関係をより精緻に分析する道筋をつけたことにある。社会的意義としては、NTに象徴されるような、対象を視覚化・数値化して認識させる、人を対象とする現代技術に共通する「合成志向性」の成り立ちを明らかにすることで、技術のあり方をめぐる社会的議論に有用な視座を提供した点にある。