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Society And Technological Change 8th Edition by Rudi Volti - Test Bank
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, Chapter 1The Nature of Technology
Short Answers
1. Define technology. What are some of the limitations of this definition? pp. 7
2. The word “technology” comes from the ancient Indo-European word techne. Explain the
evolution of this word from its Greek roots to its first modern usage. p. 4
3. For the incandescent light bulb to be a commercial success, there had to be a complementary
structure to support it. What were the key elements of that system that Thomas Edison
created? p. 6
4. How does the history of the pen exemplify some key aspects of technological change? Explain
the transition from the organic to the industrial and how it represents overall technological
change. p. 6
5. What is a sigmoid curve? How is the curve relevant to the course of technological change? p. 9
6. Give an example of a technology that seems to embody progress. According to what standards
may it be deemed progressive?p. 11
7. Give an example of a technology where its contribution to overall progress is ambivalent at best.
p.11
8. What in a technical sense is meant by “feedback”? Note a particular technology that makes use
of the feedback principle. pp.11-12
9. What is meant by rationality? How is it connected to the development of technology?How does
it relate to the way Max Weber used the word “disenchantment”? p. 15
10. What is meant by technological determinism? What is meant by social constructivism? Why is
neither completely adequate to describe the nature of technology? p. 16
Essay Questions
1. Reliance on today’s advanced technologies has been criticized as being “unnatural.” Is this a fair
criticism? Why or why not? p. 4
2. Why is organization an essential complement of technology? Give an exampleof a
complementary relationship of organization and technology. p. 5
3. How does the history of high-speed aircraft illustrate the process through which new
technologies emerge? p. 6
, Chapter 2
Winners and Losers: The Differential Effects of Technological Change
Short Answers
1. How did Caliente, Nevada exemplify “death by dieselization”? p. 24-25
2. What was the goal of the McCormick reaper manufacturing plant installing pneumatic molding
machines in the 1880s? Did they achieve this goal? p. 25
3. Who were the Luddites? Where did they live? What did they do? Why did they do it? pp. 26-28
4. Why did Luddite outbreaks cease by the middle of the 19th century? pp. 27-28
5. Name some governmental agencies that have strongly influenced the course of technological
change. p. 28-29
6. What is meant by a “closed system”? How does this concept help us to understand the
limitations of using technology to solve problems? pp. 32
7. Define “technocracy.” In theory, why is this form of government appealing? Why doesn’t it
really work in practice? pp. 33-35
8. What is meant by a “residue problem”? Give an example. p. 32-33
Essay Questions
1. Why were automobiles expected to be a cure for urban problems in the 1920s? What really
happened? pp. 30-31
2. What is meant by a ‘’’technological fix”? Give some examples of technological fixes and justify if
they were successful or unsuccessful. p. 29-30
3. Describe the basic elements of Frederick W. Taylor’s Scientific Management. Who benefitted
from it? Who opposed it? pp. 34-37
4. How does administration differ from politics? How does this distinction help us understand the
limits of technocracy? pp. 36-37
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