Abstract

This article summarizes some important aspects of actor–network theory. It provides relevant elements of the historical origins of this line of inquiry, examines some of its most distinctive concepts, and signals its development in science and technology studies and in some other areas of the social sciences. The article emphasizes the position of actor–network theory within the poststructuralist landscape, discusses its particular treatment of constructivism, and examines in particular the philosophical implications of the notion of translation, which plays a crucial role in the articulation of this approach.