Zemnukhova L., Guseva A. (2019) Sotsiotekhnicheskiye faktory liminal’noy pozitsii testirovshchikov programmnogo obespecheniya [Socio-Technical Factors of Testers’ Liminal Position]. Zhurnal sotsiologii i sotsialnoy antropologii [The Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology], 22(6): 69–85.

Abstract

The article presents the preliminary results of the research of testers in the framework of the project on socio-technical barriers of production and distribution of information technologies. Testers are considered as participants in the process of software development, where they find themselves in a situation of uncertainty: their status does not allow access to decision-making, and the boundaries of responsibility are blurred. The myths surrounding this specialization reflect biases that have taken root and reproduce the external image of testing. The position of testers can be described as liminal, because time it is in the process of transition for a long from a changing service to an independent significant role in the development process. Empirical materials of ethnography and in-depth interviews show that the difficulties of the testers’ work are largely related to the technological environment in which internal hierarchies, sequences, and restrictions on freedom of activity are inscribed. Accidentally appearing in the profession, testers are faced with three types of technological environments with which and within which they interact. Some are personal tools of testers and allow them to easily implement their daily tasks. Others are related to the software product and its testing, where developers play a leading role, and testers are dependent on the production cycles of developers. Still others concern the organization of work in the company in general, where the main opportunities and limitations, rules and roles, culture and traditions are fixed. The latter are basic in the reproduction of liminal position and sociotechnical barriers, in which testers find themselves. The article presents the preliminary results of the research of testers in theframework of the project on socio-technical barriers of production and distribution ofinformation technologies. Testers are considered as participants in the process of softwaredevelopment, where they find themselves in a situation of uncertainty: their status doesnot allow access to decision-making, and the boundaries of responsibility are blurred.The myths surrounding this specialization reflect biases that have taken root andreproduce the external image of testing. The position of testers can be described asliminal, because time it is in the process of transition for a long from a changing serviceto an independent significant role in the development process. Empirical materials ofethnography and in-depth interviews show that the difficulties of the testers’ work arelargely related to the technological environment in which internal hierarchies, sequences,and restrictions on freedom of activity are inscribed. Accidentally appearing in theprofession, testers are faced with three types of technological environments with whichand within which they interact. Some are personal tools of testers and allow them toeasily implement their daily tasks. Others are related to the software product and itstesting, where developers play a leading role, and testers are dependent on the productioncycles of developers. Still others concern the organization of work in the company ingeneral, where the main opportunities and limitations, rules and roles, culture andtraditions are fixed. The latter are basic in the reproduction of liminal position andsociotechnical barriers, in which testers find themselves.