Page 230 - Culture Technology Communication

Preserving Communication Context:
Virtual Workspace and Interpersonal
Space in Japanese CSCW

Lorna Heaton

This paper describes the design of systems for computer supported
cooperative work (CSCW) in Japan with particular attention to the
influence of culture. In doing so, it raises larger issues of the rela-
tionship between technology and context, asking how ideas and cir-
cumstances affect action. As such, it is part of a growing body of
work struggling to come to terms with this question, made more sig-
nificant by increasing globalization and the growing impact of tech-
nology (computer-based or not) in our lives.
We believe that CSCW is a particularly appropriate object for
this type of inquiry, since it is generally recognized as a field which
spans a number of boundaries and integrates a variety of perspec-
tives, ranging from those of hard science (engineering) to social sci-
ence and even philosophy. As such, it can be thought of as a messy
model or hybrid, in which the social and the technical are inextrica-
bly intertwined. The social “content” of a CSCW system is thus much
greater that that of, say, a toaster or even a television. On the other
hand, one cannot make abstraction of the very real technical knowl-
edge and constraints that go into building a working system.
This paper suggests that CSCW systems, like all technologies,
can be read as texts. These technological texts contain some ele-
ments that are distinctive to their culture of origin, without neces-
sarily being unique to that context. It further offers a plausible
explanation for these design choices, basing its argument in the
discourse of designers themselves. It draws on the notion of tech-
nological frame (Bijker and Law 1992) to explain how Japanese
CSCW designers invoke Japanese culture in general and certain
aspects in particular as resources upon which to found technical

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