"Technology ... is, in general, the organization of knowledge, people , and things to accomplish specific practical goals." (Morton Winston, "Children of Invention," 1)

Notice how wide this conception of technology is.  Some of Winston's examples include:

wheels
transmissions
the classroom
the monetary system
representative democracy
language

Is this a plausible way to think of technology?

The Idea of Technology

'Technology' - coined by Jacob Bigelow, a Harvard professor, in the 1820s

- derived from the Greek word techne for art, craft or skill

- The now natural seeming connection between technology & science ('technology is applied science') is a relatively recent one.  Formerly, the making of technology was thought of as an art, while, until the 1600s, science was generally thought of as an abstract, theoretical pursuit.      This changed in the 1600s with thinkers such as Francis Bacon and Rene Descartes and an increased focus on experimentation.

2.5 Million Years Ago - Early Hominids are making simple hand tools

100,000 B.C. - Homo Sapiens emerges (Homo Sapiens Neandetalensis)

50,000 B.C. - Homo Sapiens Sapiens

10-8,000 B.C. - The Agricultural Revolution takes place in Asia Minor and North Africa

- Humans learn to grow crops and domesticate animals
- This makes a settled existence possible as well as increased population density and specialization of labour
- Spurs robust development of social institutions, informal customs and culture
- The creation of pottery & the use of metal (intially, copper) are important technological developments that also took place around this time

mid 1700's A.D. - The Industrial Revolution takes place in Europe

- Development of mechanized industrial means of production
- Rapid development of factories
- Increased growth of cities
- Increased specialization of labour
- Cheaper goods

Note the inter-relatedness of various technologies:  the development of railroads spurs development of standardized time zones & stock broking.  (See Cohen, "Industrial Society and Technological Systems," 57-58)

"in the process of industrialization, one kind of dependency is traded for another: nature for technology." (Cohen, 55)

late 20th Century - The Information Revolution takes place (beginning in North America)?

- New electronic information storage and communications techniques allow for:

- greater and faster information gathering and exchange
- higher levels of automation
- interaction at great distance

- The internet emerges from a U.S. military project (ARPA-net) ('Advanced Research Projects Agency')

1969 - ARPAnet
1972 - email
1989 - Tim Berners-Lee 'invents' the Web

- Globalization

- Increased Productivity

- Artificial Intelligence?/Expert Systems

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Technological Systems - "the complex of techniques, knowledge, and resources that are employed by human beings in the creation of material and social artifacts that typically serve certain functions perceived as useful or desirable in relation to human interests in various social contexts." (Winston, 3)

Six Elements of Technological Systems

1. human-activity form - "the particular skills, techniques, methods, practices or ways of doing things." (2)

2. resources

3. artifacts - produced items - they may themselves be technologies or part of one, e.g., a clay pot

4. valence - the purpose of an artifact or technique

Note:  no valence without a context - e.g., a sword may be produced as a decorative wall hanging or as a weapon

5. background knowledge and skills

6. social context