contexts of technology

3Contexts of Technology

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• Recall the major contexts in which technology can be viewed.

• Summarize the major ages in human history.

• Give examples of the positive and negative impacts technology has on society.

• Explain the seven common functional areas of technology.



Technological Contexts

• Historical • Societal • Functional



Historical Context

• Technology– Has always been with humans

– Can always be improved

– Has gradually developed over time



Stone Age

• Up to about 3500 BC– Inventions were developed without knowledge of

science

– Creativity was used to develop tools from stone

– Use of fire was mastered



What do you think these stone tools were used for?



Bronze Age

• About 3500 to 1000 BC– Farming was developed

– People began to settle in villages and cities

– Metal tools replaced stone ones

– Building techniques were developed



Iron Age

• About 1000 to 500 BC– Iron became primary toolmaking material

– Agriculture techniques improved

– Large buildings and monuments were built

– Road systems were developed



How does this street compare to today’s streets? What are the reasons for the differences?



Industrial Age

• About 1750 to late 1900s– Demand for craftsmen grew

– Focus shifted from farming to manufacturing

– Factories increased rapidly

– New transportation and communication technologies

– New power sources

– Division of labor was introduced



How do you think everyday life changed as society moved into the Industrial Age?



Information Age

• Late 1900s to present day– Rapid changes in technology

– Computer was developed

– Information processing and automation became common

– People started to become very connected to technology



What are some inventions that have contributed to the Information Age? How have these changed the way we live?



Societal Context

• Technology impacts society• Society impacts technology

– Societal need

– Available resources

– Value placed on technology



What are some reasons you value technology?



Scope of Society

• Societies have grown over time• Growth is due in large part to technology



Technology and the Individual

• Technology changes the way we live and view the world

• Increasing demand for new technology• Different views on:

– Communication

– Exchange of information

– Education



How have cell phones and the Internet changed people’s expectations about information?



Technology and Society

• First World countries– Industrialized

– Have resources and desire for technology

• Third World countries– Technologically delayed

– Poor in resources and human will



Technology and Society (Cont.)

• Technology, by itself, is neither good nor bad– Depends on how it is used

– Choices result in desirable or undesirable outcomes



Green Technology• Goal is to create new tools and products to

meet people’s needs without taxing our environment

• Focuses on repairing damage already done to environment from creation and use of older technologies



What impacts has globalization had on technological development?



Functional Context

• Technology is developed for specific uses• Common functional areas for technology

– Agricultural technology– Communication and information technology– Construction technology– Energy and power technology– Manufacturing technology– Medical technology– Transportation technology



Agricultural Technology

• Planting, growing, and harvesting crops• Raising livestock• Producing technological products using living

organisms• Examples:

– Farming

– Fishing

– Biotechnology



Communication and Information Technology

• Gathering and processing information• Sharing ideas• Examples:

– Radios

– Televisions

– Computers



Construction Technology

• Erecting structures• Building civil works• Examples:

– Buildings

– Roadways

– Power transmission lines



Energy and Power Technology

• Converting, transmitting, and using energy• Providing power, heat, light, and sound• Examples:

– Electricity

– Heating

– Water power



Manufacturing Technology

• Finding and extracting natural resources• Converting resources into materials• Converting materials into products• Examples:

– Mining

– Steelmaking

– Factory work



Medical Technology

• Promoting health• Curing illnesses• Studying the human body• Examples:

– Prosthetics

– Vaccinations

– Illness prevention



Transportation Technology

• Moving people• Moving cargo• Examples:

– Vehicles

– Terminals

– Pipelines



Construction Managers• Plan and coordinate construction work• Manage people, materials, equipment,

budgets, and schedules• Work at company office or construction site



Construction Managers (Cont.)• Need prior experience as construction

workers, supervisors, or owners of contracting firms

• Need strong background in math, science, computers, building practices, and management



What are the three major contexts in which technology can be viewed?Historical context, societal context, and functional context



Name the major ages in human history, in chronological order.Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Industrial Age, and Information Age



What are two negative impacts technology has on society?Possible answers include: The potential for destruction, environmental problems, a decrease in human interactions



Identify the seven common functional areas of technology.Agricultural technology, communication and information technology, construction technology, energy and power technology, manufacturing technology, medical technology, and transportation technology



• Agricultural technology– Developing and using devices and

systems to plant, grow, and harvest crops. This technology also includes raising livestock for food and other useful products.

• Bronze Age– The stage in human history that took

place after the Stone Age.

• Communication and information technology– Developing and using devices and

systems to gather, process, and share information and ideas.



• Construction technology– Using systems and processes to erect

structures on the sites where the structures will be used.

• Energy and power technology– Developing and using systems and

processes to convert, transmit, and use energy.

• First World country– A region that has resources and a desire

for technology.



• Industrial Age– A period in which most Western

countries changed from rural to urban, as new machines and sources of power were developed to support the industry of the time.

• Information Age– The period of time in which technology

changed rapidly.

• Iron Age– The period from 1000 to 500 BC.



• Manufacturing technology– Developing and using systems and

processes to convert materials into products in a factory.

• Medical technology– Developing and using devices and

systems promoting health and curing illnesses.

• Stone Age– The period of time up to 3500 BC, when

stones were the main material for making tools.



• Third World country– A region where technological

advancement is slow, due to poor resources and an absence of human will.

• Transportation technology– Developing and using devices and

systems to move people and cargo from an origin point to a destination.

contexts of technology

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