Technology and Society Reader: Case Studies

by Peter B. Heller

Overview

This reader presents case studies from a number of sources that illustrate the mutual, reciprocal impact of technology on one hand and the social sciences, including government policy, on the other. Along the way, the introductory text and cases suggest that advanced technology (high tech) is not always compatible with the different settings in emerging societies with other geographic, economic, social, cultural, and political environments. This may be a delicate message to convey with reference to both civilian and military technology, whose spinoffs may be significant. In the frequent controversy on this issue, it is useful to remember that at the end of the day, both private and public decisions are made by individuals who bring their own “baggage” to the decision-making process. The fact that technology has made the world more of a “global village” and transparent, and thus technological diffusion and transfer easier, is also contextually relevant. But whatever technology’s downsides, emphasized in this work, admittedly technology has generally (though not universally) helped raise both the world’s standard of living and its quality of life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761858270
Publisher:	University Press of America
Publication date:	03/15/2012
Edition description:	Revised Edition
Pages:	108
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Peter B. Heller is the product of French, British, and American education at the secondary and advanced levels. He has had a diversified work experience in the cultural, publishing, and academic fields. He is currently a professor of government and politics at Manhattan College in Riverdale, New York, and has held adjunct positions at other universities.

Table of Contents

Preface Introduction Cases 1. Community Cannery and Poultry Breeding, Turkey 2. Water for the Village of Magyikwan, Burma (Myanmar) 3. Barrio Imas Prostitute Rehabilitation, Costa Rica 4. Lake Victoria-Mara Windmills, Tanzania 5. Salawe Pump, Tanzania 6. Single Side Band Radio Communication System, Papua New Guinea 7. Sugar Syrup Technology, Ghana 8. Textile Visual Materials, Ghana and Sudan 9. Tetanus Vaccination 10. The Baby Killer: Formula Milk 11. Papa China (Taro) Project, Colombia 12. Communicating with Pictures, Nepal Conclusion: Case Studies Overview Glossary Index About the Author

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

In most instances, the transfer of technology from a familiar to a new environment is a complex process. The technology being transferred may be one that originally evolved over a period of time and is now being introduced as a ready-made, completely new entity into a different setting. Discerning how the new setting differs from familiar contexts requires the imaginative and cautious vision of ‘cross-cultural social experimenters’ (Heller’s phrase). —Mike W. Martin and Roland Schinzinger, Ethics in Engineering, Second Edition