Researcher ORCID Identifier

0009-0007-5268-1441

Graduation Year

2023

Document Type

Open Access Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Science, Technology and Society

Reader 1

Jemma Lorenat

Reader 2

Laura Perini

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Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Rights Information

© 2023 Lucy A Conover

Abstract

Robots are everywhere from car factories to cafes, but many people may not realize robots are quite popular in assisted living residencies for older adults. Social eldercare robots (SER) provide care to older adults without relying on human labor, offering a lucrative promise of technological efficiency during global labor crises. However, their adaptation into care settings is not this simple. Human trust in robots is rooted in nuanced social, cultural, and historical factors, making SER a highly interpretively flexible technology. This thesis analyzes social eldercare robot implementation in two countries, Germany and Japan, using a "Science, Technology and Society" (STS) framework. By investigating how service animals, perception of migrant labor, and religious factors impact social eldercare robot use, I argue acceptance of SER is highly bound to local beliefs about caretaking, spirituality, and what it truly means to be alive.

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