Technology or practices of care first?: Technology assessment in the tension between ‘technology push’ and managing socio-technological futures = Technologie oder Pflegepraktiken – was kommt zuerst?: Technik-folgenabschätzung im Spannungsfeld zwischen ‚Technologie-Push‘ und dem Management soziotechnischer Zukünfte

The article underscores the crucial role of technology assess-
ment (TA) in balancing technological development with care principles.
While TA integrates care-based approaches, it is evident that these ef-
forts alone are not sufficient to promote truly ‘caring’ societies. Techno-
logical solutions are often insufficiently tailored to the specific needs of
users and the social contexts of care, creating significant tensions. The
article therefore argues for a ‘care-sensitive’ TA that not only ensures
technological robustness and adaptability but also allows continuous
‘tinkering’ to refine technologies in dynamic care settings. A reciprocal,
contextual approach benefits both caregivers and recipients by embed-
ding technology into care practices rather than subordinating care to
technological imperatives.