Understanding Social Construction of Technology Praxis in Indonesia: A Case Study of Bridge Development

Abstract

This paper contributes a technocultural perspective in understanding a social
construction of the Jembatan Hati 3 bridge as a technology, to uncover the technological
and social dimensions of the bridge. An ethnographic research method is employed in
understanding a bridge as a technological and social product. The design, construction,
and maintenance of bridge in Kampong Cipadung, Desa Daroyon, Kecamatan Cileles,
Kabupaten Lebak, Banten, Indonesia. This method is based on a participatory model,
in which a team of engineers and researchers (the outsiders) and the local people (the
insiders) collaborate in defining the design, function and maintenance of the bridge,
based on a geographical, environmental, and social conditions. The result of the research
shows that the bridge construction is a symbiosis of technical logic of functionality,
simplicity, efficiency, durability, and social logics of connectedness, improvement,
cohesiveness, and commonness.