Göde Both

Accomplishing Autonomous Driving: An Unfinished Description

Introduction

Accomplishing autonomous driving: an unfinished description. Explore Göde Both's ethnographic research on autonomous driving, questioning the definition of autonomy and conceptualizing it as a collective achievement of heterogeneous elements.

Abstract

In his contribution on Accomplishing Autonomous Driving: An unfinished Description Göde Both stresses the multiplicity of possible answers to what his research object might be: an autonomous or self-driving car and its related practices. Drawing on ethnographic descriptions Both questions the definition of autonomy in this context in which there is a constant oscillation between manual and autonomous driving. This leads to a conceptualization of autonomous driving as a collective achievement of heterogeneous elements. Both thus argues for the multitude of spatial, temporal and personal configurations and distributions across related objects, humans and practices.

Review

The article "Accomplishing Autonomous Driving: An Unfinished Description" by Göde Both offers a critical and refreshing perspective on the concept of autonomous driving. Challenging conventional understandings, Both immediately signals that his research object — the autonomous or self-driving car and its related practices — is far from a settled entity, instead presenting a multiplicity of possible interpretations. This foundational premise sets the stage for a nuanced exploration that avoids simplistic definitions and embraces the inherent complexities of what it means for a vehicle to operate autonomously. Drawing on rich ethnographic descriptions, Both meticulously questions the very definition of autonomy within this rapidly evolving technological landscape. He highlights a crucial observation: the constant oscillation between manual and autonomous driving modes, which fundamentally complicates any clear-cut categorization of "autonomous." This empirical insight leads to a profound re-conceptualization, where autonomous driving is reframed not as a singular, isolated function of a machine, but rather as a "collective achievement of heterogeneous elements." This framework underscores the intricate interplay and mutual constitution of various factors contributing to what we perceive as autonomous operation. Both's central argument culminates in a compelling call to recognize the multitude of spatial, temporal, and personal configurations that shape and distribute autonomy across related objects, humans, and practices. This perspective significantly moves beyond technocentric views, inviting readers to consider autonomous driving as an emergent phenomenon deeply embedded in socio-technical systems. The paper thus makes a valuable contribution to discussions around human-machine interaction, the sociology of technology, and urban studies, urging a more holistic and dynamic understanding of autonomy as a constantly negotiated and collaboratively accomplished state, rather than a fixed technological attribute.

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