Chapter 1 Technology, Environment and Society

Group Discussion
• “Technology is irreversible”
Intermediate technology
• The concept of ’Intermediate Technology’ was
introduced by economist and philosopher Fritz
Schumacher
• based on the needs and skills possessed by the people of
developing countries
• described as relatively small, simple, capital-saving,
labour-intensive, and environmentally less-damaging
technologies, suitable for local, small-scale application.
(Wood, 1983)
• What was needed was a level of technology better than
the simple methods used in the rural areas, more
productive than the traditional tools, but far simpler and
less capital-intensive than the modern technology
imported from the West.
Labor based technology
• labour-based technology is used to describe a
technology that applies a labour/equipment mix
that gives priority to labour
• supplementing it with appropriate equipment
where necessary for reasons of quality or cost
• While producing or maintaining infrastructure
to a specified standard in a cost-effective
manner, people are employed under fair working
conditions
Labor based technology
• There is a difference between an optimum and efficient
use of labour, as opposed to a maximum, and possibly
inefficient use.
• the same level of investment in local infrastructure, the
use of labour-based technologies can create between two
and four times more employment (mostly unskilled)
• The use of labour-based methods also implies the
increased use of associated local resources.

These may include locally available materials, tools and
equipment, skills and knowledge, as well as finance.
• This reinforces the percentage of investment that
remains in the country and often in the locality of the
works, reduces the dependence on costly imports, and
stimulates the local economy.
Labor intensive technology
• The most basic meaning is that a specific job is hard,
often physical, work.
• the amount of capital put into the labor force exceeds
the capital put into any other area such as
purchase, maintenance, etc.
• the amount of time spent performing an action exceeds
the amount of time preparing for or dealing with the
results of said action
• Agriculture, construction, and coal-mining industries are
examples of labor intensive industries.
Agricultural age
• dawn of civilization
• focused on farming;
• people were concerned about having a shelter
and food readily available to them
• transformation of human society brought about
by inventions such as the plow, the wheel, etc
Agricultural age
• The invention of the plow affected this age the
most because it accentuated the change to the
industrial age
• The plow allowed large-scale agricultural
production possible,

which in turn produced a larger food surplus,

in turn freeing up people for other types of work
• During the agricultural age, people were
thinking:

produce food and tools to sustain the family’s needs.
Industrial Age
• The mechanization of the farm and invention of
the steam engines marks the start of the
Industrial Age.
• People began to migrate from the farm to cities
for jobs.
• Mass production in factories first occurred
Information age
• Exact date of beginning

Unknown
• However year 1956 and 1957 hold significance

benchmark of beginning of information society
• 1956: in the USA
white color workers
outnumbered blue color workers
most of
them worked with information rather than
producing goods
Information age
• 1957: Russian launched Sputnik
introduced
an era of global satellite communication.
• Workers engaged with creation, processing and
distribution of information as:

Programmers, teachers, engineers, system analyst,
accountants, lawyers, stock brokers, insurance
people, scientists, technicians, bureaucrats and so
on.
• Within goods manufacturing industries, many
workers hold information jobs.
Information age
• The Information Age is a period of time where
technological developments have and will
continue to occur at an exponential rate.
• The microchip (integrated circuit)
revolutionized the world of electronics and has
made communication systems faster, cheaper,
and more powerful than ever.
• This age emphasize processing and exchanging
information.
Characteristics of information society
• The economy of the state is driven by the creation
and efficient use of information.
• However this does not mean that manufacturing
processes are missing.
• Most importantly,

Construction and manufacturing sector expanded little

Information sector experienced tremendous growth.
• Information society is based on the motto
“Knowledge is power.”
• Future oriented
Characteristics of information society
• Even an industrial society, some kind of
information required to do the job.
• Difference is:

For industrial workers, information is a means to
achieve the final result

For information workers, information is in itself a
final result.
• In information society, creative and innovative
use of information can provide a competitive
advantage
Information as power and wealth
• Creation, processing and distribution of
information
• To get information of particular object is itself a
knowledge
which is a source of strength
(power)
• We now mass-produce knowledge
this
knowledge is driving force of economy.
• New source of power is not money in the hands
of few but information in the hands of many.
Information as power and wealth
• The productivity of knowledge is a key to
productivity, competitive strength and economic
achievement.
• Knowledge industry provides essential and
central resources for production
• In organizations, higher level workers have more
information than low level workers.
• To have power, they rarely impart the
knowledge.
Information as power and wealth
• In this information age, countries’ economy
depends on the information

Economic growth cannot be achieved without proper
utilization of information
Appropriate Technology

TES
• Appropriate Technology

Develop the concept of appropriate technology
Appropriate Technology
• Research and development resources increased
enormously (after II WW).
• Main objectives have been:

Defense

Issues of national prestige

Economic growth
• Relatively less efforts in social and service
sectors such as health and education
Appropriate Technology
• Concerns of negative side-effects of technology
(in industrialized countries)

Environmental pollution

Urban deterioration

Loss of satisfaction in work

Increased alienation of people from society
• Quality of life deteriorated
Appropriate Technology
• Further development of technology required
• If technology grows without control, generates
social and ecological disturbances
• Therefore, technology evolved should be
socially acceptable.
• More careful selection and management of
technology.
Appropriate Technology
• Development of means of technology assessment
is required so that social, cultural and economic
consequences of a particular process could be
assessed.
• This would avoid unwanted effects.
Appropriate Technology
• Here comes the concept of Appropriate
Technology, which can be achieved on the basis
of:

Value system of global human development

Local economic, social and cultural needs
• Appropriate technology, therefore means,
“the development and utilization of processes and
work organization most suitable to particular
circumstances, both economic and social, of a
particular country or sector”
Appropriate Technology
• Present technologies are far from fully
appropriate to the present and future needs.
• Technologies can be made appropriate by taking
into account

Social concerns

Pollution control

Conservation of raw materials and energy
Appropriate Technology
• In industrialized countries, R & D is aimed at the
creation of technological processes to achieve

high level of labor productivity

Large scale production to provide large markets
• Technology has been successful towards this
end.
• However, they have failed take into account
social and environmental factors
Appropriate Technology
• In Third World countries, technological needs fall
into five major categories:

Introduction of technology developed elsewhere but
modified with the consideration of locally available
materials, work methods and human skills.

Overall economic improvement

Introducing freely available technology to manufacture
basic products presently being imported

Highly efficient but labor-intensive technology

Improvement of existing methods and tools of traditional
sector by systematic application of scientific principles.
Assessment Criteria for Appropriate
Technology in Developing Countries
• Despite higher growth rate, problems of poverty
and unemployment still exist.
• The main reason could be that we have not used
appropriate technology to solve economic
problems.
• Modern technology and appropriate
technologies are complementary to each other.
• Appropriate technology does not mean an
inferior or out-dated technology.
Major Assessment Criteria for
Appropriate Technology
1. Technology concerned should be developed to
fulfill specific social needs
2. It should use the raw materials, locally available
3. It should require the skills, locally available
4. Machinery used should be such that it can be
operated and maintained locally
5. It should contribute to positive social
development
Major Assessment Criteria for
Appropriate Technology
6. Products of technology should be cheap, high
quality and available market
7. Less expensive technology
8. It should be labor-intensive to generate
employment
9. It should utilize full human potential esp in
rural areas
10. It should utilize traditional skills and
capabilities
Major Assessment Criteria for
Appropriate Technology
11. Technology should ensure maximum
development with minimum capital
12. It should have export potential
13. It should be less demanding in energy
14. Technology should not affect environment and
should have waste recycling potential
Appropriate Technology
Task: Case study of an application of an
Appropriate Technology