Technology and Social Change: William Fielding Ogburn Revisited
Article Abstract:
William Fielding Ogburn was one of the first social philosophers to realize the important effects of invention and technology on society. His first important book, 'Social Change with Respect to Culture and Original Native' (1922) was written when radios were a rarity. He later used the effects of radios on culture as an example in his classes. His theoretical concepts of social evaluation as found in his works are reviewed. He saw inventions as inherent to the development of a society and as a factor in social evolution. Many social trends are bound together with inventions. Ogburn divided culture into two parts: material and adaptive. Material culture changes fast while adaption is slower to take place, creating cultural lag.
Publication Name: Technological Forecasting & Social Change
Subject: Social sciences
ISSN: 0040-1625
Year: 1983
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Role of externalities in inducing technical change: a case study of the Indian machine tool industry
Article Abstract:
A novel technological forecasting framework, based on the concept of Porter's diamond of competitive advantage, was developed in an attempt to determine the significance of externalities in inducing technical change. By evaluating the interaction of employees in Taiwanese and Japanese machine tool firms, it was established that externalities are critical factors in promoting technical change in international businesses. Results further show that the presence of competitors and the introduction of new products and services tend to promote market competition.
Publication Name: Technological Forecasting & Social Change
Subject: Social sciences
ISSN: 0040-1625
Year: 1999
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A qualitative cross-impact approach to find the key technology
Article Abstract:
A qualitative cross-impact approach, which is based on fuzzy relations, determines the vital technology that an R&D planner or a policy maker can choose for its source technology towards a goal technology. The approach uses a matrix of linguistic variables and fuzzy numbers to forecast a future technology. The impact assessment of the chosen technologies is formulated in a dual fuzzy cross-impact matrix (FCIM), where technological influences and time delays are taken into account.
Publication Name: Technological Forecasting & Social Change
Subject: Social sciences
ISSN: 0040-1625
Year: 1997
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