Description
This work explores the sociotechnical imaginaries of the Brazilian Armed Forces regarding future warfare, analyzing how emerging technological demands impact Brazil's strategic autonomy. Unlike traditional approaches in International Relations, which often treat technology as an exogenous element or residual variable, we argue that technology should occupy a central position in analyses of international dynamics. Through a co-production process, technology intertwines in dense sociotechnical systems, shaping and being shaped by different actors and artifacts. Thus, this research is guided by the following question: to what extent does the Brazilian Armed Forces' visions of future warfare constrain the country's strategic autonomy? Our hypothesis is that such future visions are anchored in a hegemonic military sociotechnical imaginary that defines future warfare based on normative expectations about scientific and technological innovations. To test this hypothesis, we will conduct a content analysis of Brazilian military documents addressing future warfare to identify the elements and values that compose these imaginaries. The theoretical framework draws on the concepts of sociotechnical imaginaries and technodiversity to comprehend and further challenge the notion of linear and universal technology development and innovation. We understand that the idea of sociotechnical imaginaries enables us to analyze how visions of science and technology influence social projects and shape desirable or undesirable futures. We argue that these imaginaries function as infrastructures of planned futures, directly linking technological choice – allegedly a technical and neutral matter – to strategic and political fields. Therefore, this work contributes to understanding how sociotechnical imaginaries inform the Brazilian Armed Forces' strategic decisions and the possibilities for building alternate warfare futures.
