Abstract: Previous research，when explaining the reasons for the failure of participatory projects or the introduction of technology to rural areas， often approached the issue from the perspective of power relations or cultural paradigms， with less attention paid to the common project carrier： technology. Using a participatory construction project of light-steel rural housing as an example， this paper points out that the materiality of light-steel construction technology and its social construction process have constrained the social effects of technology promotion and villager participation. The research finds that，on the one hand，light- steel technology provides the possibility for ordinary villagers to participate in construction by simplifying operations and lowering thresholds； on the other hand， its inherent logic of industrialization，specialization， and standardization weakens the flexibility of the technology，making it difficult to align with the locality and flexibility of vernacular construction，and instead exacerbating villagers’ dependence on technology providers. Furthermore，issues such as the technological system embedded in social power relations，the tension between the material characteristics of technology and local cultural identity，and the conflict between technological rationality and vernacular construction rationality have all undermined villagers’ sense of achievement and identification with participatory construction. The rationality logic of technology makes it difficult for open technological solutions that embody social ideals to take root，thus shaping the following paradox：on the surface，villagers have acquired new skills through deep participation，but it is difficult to achieve the project’s expected goals in terms of collective consciousness and community empowerment， resulting in a situation of “one-dimensional participation”. The technology-centered perspective helps us reflect on the imagination and reality of the technological path advocating “empowerment” and “participation”，re-examine the connotation and conditions of“participatory”，and more comprehensively consider the complex role of technology in social projects.

Key words: technology, light steel, construction, one-dimensionality, participation