POL 507 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Space Warfare, Ak-47, Techne
28 Feb 2020
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Ex: nuclear tech; used for warfare; used in meds; hydroproduced lights; wmd. What determines tech"s consequences: context: who"s using it and for what. Ignorance of effects and long-term effects of tech. Ex: ak-47 dev"d to fight fascist in soviet union in ww; now, used to hunt and kill for less noble motives. Structure vs agency: agency: actors and users, human element, structure: institutional things (gov"t, state, businesses, more emphasis on structure than agency in polisci, must think about creators, owners, and users of tech; who are affected. Defining technology: created, built, developed, discovered, makes life easier, brings about change; shaping the way we think and infl future; extend humans limitations. In tech studies: artifact(s), generic term for tech. Ex: printing press and printing the bible; led to poli, cultural, and religious uprising; spread of knowledge; oral traditions tend to change across time and space; written tradition leaves a permanent record; contributed to book-keeping techniques.
