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        Equality for All? Discursive anthropomorphic framing in social robotics

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        H Zijlstra - Thesis NMDC.pdf (2.107Mb)
        Publication date
        2017
        Author
        Zijlstra, H.D.H.A.
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        Summary
        This thesis explores discursive framing of anthropomorphism (i.e. attributing human attributes to something non-human, here: the social robot) in social robotics literature. Moreover, it focuses on shifting realities as a result of technology. As argued, social robots are a particularly powerful form of technology as they are increasingly perceived as actors, rather than tools. By employing a poststructuralist discourse analysis, the present research contends that the social robot consistently challenges preconceived notions of human identity as it is placed antagonistically opposite the human through competition for a shared identity. There is a clear lack of ethical and moral discussion enveloping the field and instead, social robots are triumphalized to a great extent. Continued collaborative efforts are required in debating how we wish to frame the social robot and, consequently and ultimately, whether we wish to have equality for all.
        URI
        https://studenttheses.uu.nl/handle/20.500.12932/25929
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