Volti, Unit 1 information, chapters 1-3

• The Nature of Technology• Winners and Losers: The Differential Effects

of Technological Change• The Sources of Technological Change

Technological change

• inevitably produces social change.• does not affect everyone in the same way.• produces “winners” and “losers.”• can be used for either good or evil.

Technological change, cont.• does not yield benefits without exacting a cost.• may require changes in habits and attitudes.• often shaped by distribution of power. [change

takes place--or doesn’t take place--because of a particular group]

• is sometimes used to “fix” problems that are not technical in nature.

Technological change, cont.• demands “push” and “pull.”• treated differently in market economies than it

is in centrally planned economies.• Requires forecasters to examine trends

Examples

NYC Taxi Strike, 2008

Dockworker standoff, cont.

© 2002, New York Times

August 29, 2007

August 29, 2007

HNRS 201 May 18, 2010

Resolved• PDAs / barcode scanners introduced, ports

modernized• Efficiency increased, U.S. stayed somewhat

competitive with Hong Kong, Singapore, etc.• Some dockworkers reassigned• Union - not management - retained control

over jobs created by displaced dockworkers• Little to no outsourcing

HNRS 201 May 18, 2010

HNRS 201 May 18, 2010

Technological Fix• Technological solution to a non-technical

problem• Can be effective, but sometimes value is

limited: social problems are fundamentally different from technical problems.

• Examples: airbags, scientific management

Tech. Fix for dockworkers• PDAs / barcode scanners introduced, ports

modernized• Efficiency increased, U.S. stayed somewhat

competitive with Hong Kong, Singapore, etc.• Some dockworkers reassigned• Union - not management - retained control

over jobs created by displaced dockworkers• Little to no outsourcing