Cultural Translation in Technology Design

When Technology Travels
Erscheinungsjahr 2026
ISBN: 978-3-032-13750-0
Verlag: Springer

Buch, Englisch, 82 Seiten, Format (B × H): 155 mm x 235 mm, Gewicht: 172 g

Reihe: SpringerBriefs in Anthropology

This book explores the challenges and opportunities that arise when high-tech innovation crosses cultural boundaries—and how it can be thoughtfully adapted before reaching the end user. Drawing on a real-world case of a European Virtual Reality (VR) training system prepared for deployment in Malaysia’s aerospace sector, this book investigates the cultural and cognitive translations necessary to ensure any design tool's success in a new context. Rather than documenting failure, it offers a blueprint for preventing it—by listening, adapting, and designing with local realities in mind. Drawing from ethnographic research, interviews, and human-centered design principles, this book explores the concept of anthropotechnology, aligning technology with local learning habits, social dynamics, and cultural expectations. It introduces the concept of the Anthropotechnological Islet, a bridging structure that enables imported systems to fit meaningfully into different environments before they are operationalized. The Islet is not a compromise between systems but a generative space for innovation that fosters cross-cultural adaptation and learning. This book is both a research monograph and a design manifesto. It tells the story of how a VR tool was reshaped—not just through technical refinement, but through cultural insight, institutional collaboration, and cognitive empathy. It offers practical guidance for those working in training, design, and technology transfer, especially in transnational or cross-cultural settings. In an increasingly globalized world, this book invites readers to rethink how we design for difference—early, intentionally, and with respect for local ways of knowing and learning.

Zielgruppe

Research

Autoren/Hrsg.

Ashikin Said, Noor

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Pädagogik Schulen, Schulleitung Universitäten, Hochschulen
• Technische Wissenschaften Verkehrstechnik | Transportgewerbe Luft- und Raumfahrttechnik, Luftverkehr
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Soziologie Allgemein
• Technische Wissenschaften Sonstige Technologien | Angewandte Technik Astronautik
• Technische Wissenschaften Technik Allgemein Technik: Allgemeines

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Technology is Never Universal: Theoretical Foundations.- When Technology Travels: A Case in Translation.- Anthropotechnology: Reframing Technology Transfer as a  HumanEncounter.- The VR Tool that Needed Translation.- Life on the Shop Floor.- Perspective Taking and Local Wisdom.- Collaboration in Translation: Negotiating Technology and Culture.- What Makes Technology Transfer Work (or Fail).- Inventing the Anthropotechnological Islet.- Conclusion.

Über Autor(innen)

Noor Ashikin Said, PhD, is a researcher specializing in human-centered technology design, cultural ergonomics, and innovation strategies in Southeast Asia. Her interdisciplinary work integrates anthropological insights, ergonomics, and technology design to explore how technologies can be adapted to fit the cultural and cognitive needs of diverse user groups. She has collaborated with major industry partners such as CTRM and Airbus, contributing to projects in aerospace training and digital systems design. Her research has influenced the field of cross-cultural technology transfer, offering strategies for developing socially, culturally, and cognitively adaptive systems. She holds a doctorate in anthropotechnology and has published widely on cross-cultural design and technology transfer.