SOCA02H3 Chapter 22: SOCA02 textbook notes for chapter 22 - technology and the global environment
Document Summary
Chapter 22 technology and the global environment. Technology: the practical application of scientific principles: supposed to improve human life. normal accident: accidents that occur inevitably though unpredictably because of the very complexity of modern technologies. Technopoly: form of social organization in which technology compels people to try to solve all problems by using technical rather than moral criteria, even though technology is often the source of the problems. neil postam argues that the united states is the first country in which technology has taken control of culture. Latest concern of technological skeptics is biotechnology: molecular biologists are able to split genes, create different characteristics of animals and plants, etc. nikolai kondratiev first social scientist to recognize that technologies are created in clusters. Technological determinism: belief that technology is the main factor shaping human history. 2 of the world"s biggest industries: automobiles and petroleum: james watt invented the steam engine, gottlieb daimler invented the internal combustion engine.
