H.R. Schipper

Papers

Total Citations

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About

H.R. Schipper is a critical scholar whose work interrogates the intersection of technology, labour, and social norms, with a particular focus on automation and robotisation in the construction industry. Their most-cited paper, "More Than Meets the Eye? Robotisation and Normativity in the Dutch Construction Industry" (2020), challenges techno-optimistic narratives by revealing how robotic adoption is not merely a technical shift but a deeply normative process that reshapes work identities, skill hierarchies, and power dynamics. Schipper’s research demonstrates that automation in construction is mediated by existing social structures, often reinforcing rather than disrupting traditional gender and class norms. Though their citation count is modest, Schipper’s work is notable for its pioneering application of Science and Technology Studies (STS) and critical labour theory to a sector typically overlooked in automation debates. By foregrounding the Dutch construction industry as a case study, Schipper offers a nuanced counterpoint to deterministic views of technological change, making their scholarship essential for students and researchers interested in the sociotechnical dimensions of Industry 4.0, the future of manual labour, and the politics of innovation.