Acceptance research of future technologies

• A, Opportunities and limitations of smart technologies reflecred in social acceptance (A)

• B, Smart devices in elderly care

Identification of a societal problem (A)

Currently, both developed and developing countries around the world have to cope with several major crises: challenges caused by climate change, the health crisis caused by the coronavirus, and the resulting economic and housing crises. Dealing with these interconnected crises requires the prominent role of new technologies, which are advancing at a much faster pace than their societal adoption. Therefore, optimizing technological and human/social infrastructures together is of utmost importance, whereby technological possibilities are developed using continuous feedback mechanisms of societal needs, expectations, and norms. Within this framework, the research examines the social acceptance of smart solutions related to energy use using the example of housing. Smart devices theoretically offer the possibility of more efficient and better-controlled energy consumption. The question is how much they actually contribute or can contribute to reducing the environmental impact of energy use, taking into account the societal inequalities in access, knowledge related to these devices, and the skills required to use them, as well as the higher energy consumption of higher-status households and the environmental impact of the entire life cycle of these devices.

Identification of a societal problem (B)

The increase in life expectancy and the growing proportion of the elderly population is a positive social phenomenon, but it poses a new challenge to the public service system. The underlying philosophy of modern service systems is to employ tools that allow elderly individuals to live in their own homes for as long as possible. This can be achieved by replacing traditional institutional forms of care with home-based and community-based services to a greater extent. The aim of the research is to examine the social acceptance of smart homes implemented for elderly people in the 5th district of Budapest.

Contact

Katalin Tausz (Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Social Sciences)
E-mail