WHAT DO WE MEAN BY TECHNOLOGY

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WHAT DO WE MEAN BY TECHNOLOGY?
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WHAT DO WE MEAN BY TECHNOLOGY?

• A reciprocal relationship between technology and
  society
• Technological determinism v. social
  construction
• Definitions of technology
• Technology in Canadian thought
• Discussion questions for next session

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A RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIP

• Technology in Contemporary Society addresses
  the set of problems surrounding the interaction
  between technological change on one hand, and on
  the other hand, society, which includes
  individuals, social structures (with emphasis on
  relations of power), and culture. These aspects
  of society determine the direction taken by
  technological change, but the technologies
  created also have effects, impacts, and
  consequences for society. Especially in our time
  of rapid technological change, and in the
  context of the war on terror, the relationships
  of society and technology raise many new
  practical and moral issues.

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TECHNOLOGICAL DETERMINISMVSSOCIAL
CONSTRUCTION

• Technological determinist stance (T ? S) is
  concerned with social effects, consequences,
  impacts of technologies may be pessimistic (e.g.
  Postmans technopoly) or optimistic (as in the
  concepts of technological fix or technological
  utopia)
• Technology is seen as an independent variable (as
  in Goyder, Part II, Chapters 4-9)

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• Social constructivist or political stance
  (S ? T) is concerned with social origins, social
  construction, or social shaping of technology
• Technology is seen as a dependent variable
  (as in Goyder, Part I, Chapters 1-3)
• Thomas Homer-Dixons technological and social
  trends seen in the events of 9/11/01

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DEFINITIONS OF TECHNOLOGY

• Viewpoints of practitioners observers
  (Peter Fitzgerald-Moore)
• Technology in contexts (e.g. C.G. Bush)
• Technology as practice (Arnold Pacey holistic
  vs. prescriptive technologies in Ursula
  Franklins Real World of Technology)
• Technology as golem (H. Collins,T. Pinch)
• Comparing definitions of technology

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TECHNOLOGY IN CANADIAN THOUGHT

• Harold Innis (economic historian) technological
  realism importance of Canadas geography and
  resources
• Marshall McLuhan (humanities professor,
  communications guru) technological humanism
  the medium is the message) current disciple
  Derrick de Kerkhove
• George Grant (religious philosopher)
  technological dependency technology as fate

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR NEXT SESSION

• What are the 6 institutional domains and 2 main
  concepts in Goyders crash course in sociology
  (27-31)?
• Explain economic surplus as a precondition for
  technological development, and capitalism as a
  technology accelerator.
• Is George Basalla a technological determinist?
  How so or not so?

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BE PREPARED TO WRITE/SPEAK ON

• Given Goyders paragraph 2, page 32, what is
  another example from your own experience of a
  technology shaped by its related social and
  cultural context? (cf.fig 2.2)
• Technology as value contrast the Enlightenment
  and technocratic views of progress. (L. Marx in
  TEICH)
• In what ways have Canadas geographic and social
  environments shaped its technologies?