Technology and its Impact

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Technology in History

Humans have used tools (technology) since

antiquity()

i.e. Hunting, farming

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Technology in History (contd)

Some animals use tools also!

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Technology in History (contd)

Today, technology usually associated with

high-technology
Innovation: commercialization and
dissemination () (or widespread use) of
technology

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Original Meaning of Technology?

From Aristotles time (384-322 BC) = Study

of the arts, techniques

A term with origins in Greek, "technologia",

techne =("craft") and logia =("saying")

Technology as a word was seldom used

before 1880
Came into common vocabulary with the
industrial revolution in England (1760-1850
and 1820-1890 in the US) when large
technological systems (i.e. railways) began to
dominate
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Technological Knowledge

Usually downplayed ()
Use hands to make technology and
mind to do science
Has its own tradition

Not all technologies have a scientific

foundation

SOSC 1130 Fall 2016 Notes 04

What is Science? What is

Technology?

Science usually refers to a systematic body

of knowledge about the observable world

Facts or observations about the world

Technology usually refers to material

goods, methods, or knowledge used to
carry out human ends

Usually associated with functionality, i.e. what

function technology serves for us

Helps us achieve some goal/completion of task

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What is Science? What is

Technology? (contd)

Knowing why = science

Why something works/behaves/acts the

way it does (in the natural world)

Knowing how = technology

How something works/behaves/acts the

way it does
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Blurred (Unclear) Boundaries

Between Sci. and Technology

Organizations such as business: are

they technologies?
Political structures such as a
democratic / socialist government?
Religions?

Serve a social function to order society

Science

Technology

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What Counts as a Technology?

Any given technology does NOT have a

single function
Its function varies among:

Time

Place

Computer :Past Data Analysis in Army

Now Playing Game, watching movie

Car: US A kind of transportation

China A kind of show off

Context

Gun: Society with war A weapon

Peace Society Collection / Leisure
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A Three-Part Definition of
Technology

Part I
(Tangible) ()
Artifacts, systems, networks (material
aspect)

Things you can touch and feel

For example, a computer, ipod, etc.

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Part II
Intangible ()
Knowledge, skill and technique

Cannot see and touch

Seems low tech, but usually more
important than the actual artifact ()
For example, how to type on a computer
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Part III
Intangible
Related social practices/social relations

For example, the organization of work

(workers, supervisors, managers, etc.)

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Technological Knowledge vs.

Scientific Knowledge

Scientific knowledge usually overestimated

and technological knowledge usually
under-estimated
Science does not have a monopoly (
/) over technical knowledge

For example, the first airplane was built

without any formal scientific knowledge
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Linear Model of Innovation

Basic science (or research)

Applied science (or research)
Development
Society

(4-stage linear model)

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The Making of Technology

Technical knowledge or technological

artifacts do not come from science
alone

Many resources required to make

technology (as well as science)

Material, financial, social, ideological ()

assistance

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The Making of Technology

(contd)

Increasing interdependence among

various resources

Nanotechnology, materials science,

biotechnology
Biotechnology
Science

Nanotechnology

Technology

Material Science
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Characteristics of Technology

Some technologies require certain

conditions to operate

Example: Nuclear power plants (need strict

approval to get in), airports (authority)
Handguns (in HK) (legal approval), certain
drugs

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Characteristics of Technology
(contd)

Some technologies
promote inequality
()

Deliberate or
unintended
For example, design
of bridges

Designed to allow
cars (i.e. wealthy
people) but not buses
(i.e. poor people) to
pass through

Bridge in Long Island promote inequality

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Characteristics of Technology
(contd)

Some technologies create dependence

A torch depends on batteries for power

Humans depend on phones for
communication

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Technological Determinism (
) (1/4) (p.79-84)

Idea that technological change

determines social change

Examples: Speeding cars (technological

change) more accidents (social change)
Building ever taller buildings (technological
change) a higher suicide rate (social
change)

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Tech Determinism (2/4)

A critics term (not widely believed)

Many issues are more than simple causeand-effect issues

Social aspects are prevalent in all stages of
technological and social change

Society can impact technology

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Tech Determinism (3/4)

Technologies work, and technological change

occurs within society
Society

Science

technology

Can not think of technology (or science)

outside of society

Both are part or within society and affected by

people
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Tech Determinism (4/4)

Rather than being deterministic, we

have to clearly understand the context
in which technologies function

That will help us identify the societal

influences upon technology

However, should not fall into the

opposing end of the spectrum
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What S&TS Says for the Study

of Technology (1/4)

No given technology has a single use

Any given technology may have
dominant use, but not a single use

Example: Chalk can be used to write

(dominant use) or punish students who are
misbehaving in class!
Steroids (): Medical use vs. illicit
drug () in Olympics Game
Coke bottle (Vietnam version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWgCQgzJOU4)
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What S&TS Says for the Study

of Technology (2/4)

Technology does not have essential

features that MUST lead to certain
outcomes

For example, you can sit on a chair, but it

doesnt mean a chair must and can only be
used to sit on. It may be used as armor

http://youtu.be/BeXuvj9P2CE

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What S&TS Says for the Study

of Technology (3/4)

More uses of a
chair

For pregnant
women to do
exercise

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What S&TS Says for the Study

of Technology (4/4)

Effects or outcomes of technology

depend on the context in which they
are deployed

For example, airplanes

Carry passengers?
Or carry out terrorist attacks?

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Summary

Technologies do not have essential

features
Technology has its own tradition
Understanding the context is vitally
important

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