Midterm #2

Question 1

Question 1: What is the difference between holistic and prescriptive techs and why are prescriptive techs seen as a problem?

Answer 1

• Holistic: associated with craft, usually one person controlling every aspect of the technology.
• Prescriptive: focus is on efficiency, predictability, division of labour
• Prescriptive bad because takes out nurturing aspect, creates designs for compliance

Question 2

What are your three supporting arguments for question 1? (prescriptive vs. holistic) Elaborate.

Answer 2

1. Healthcare and education (describing necessary holistic techs)
2. Industrial revolution, describing modern prescriptive techs, lean towards negativity here
3. Communication of modern world, reciprocity, lack of compassion, logical overpowering social

Question 3

Question 2: What is the culture of compliance, how was it created, and how does it function within technology?

Answer 3

• phenomenon created by rise of prescriptive technologies
• one technological solution becomes standard
• people stick to new dominant technology within culture

Question 4

What are your three supporting arguments for question 2? (compliance) Elaborate.

Answer 4

1. First prescriptive technologies (Chinese bronze casting), how this leads to compliance
2. Industrial Revolution, how this shaped everything we see today as compliant, ties in with prescriptive tech
3. Today’s compliance, digital age, people being compliant towards social media, texting, leads to lack of genuine reciprocity, takeover of technology

Question 5

Question 3. What is the overall argument of Ursula Franklin about technology, how is this argument supported in her book, and is her argument convincing?

Answer 5

• heavily interwoven with compliance
• the above is negative
• convincing, examples are good and she explains lack of reciprocity today well

Question 6

What are your three supporting arguments for question 3? (overall opinion of technology) Elaborate

Answer 6

1. culture of compliance and prescriptive technology definitions
2. industrial revolution, sewing machine
3. communication tech, modern day, reciprocity

Question 7

Question 4: Why and how did dependency on technology lead to the enslavement of society?

Answer 7

• compliance
• structures and infrastructures stemming from technology
• above lead to an enslavement

Question 8

What are your three supporting arguments for question 4? (enslavement of society) Elaborate.

Answer 8

1. Definitions of compliance, prescriptive technologies
2. infrastructures put in place, tell Robert moses story
3. industrial revolution, sewing machine

Question 9

Question 5: Please explain how the idea that technology is a “catalyst for the spread of control and management” is developed and reflected in the book.

Answer 9

• governing bodies take advantage of culture of compliance
• infrastructures laid out as a result of new technologies
• numerous historical examples support this

Question 10

What are your three supporting arguments for question 5? (catalyst for spread of control) Elaborate.

Answer 10

1. defining culture of compliance, prescriptive technologies
2. infrastructures laid out, Robert moses
3. industrial revolution, sewing machine

Question 11

Question 6: Please explain how the idea that technology is a system is developed and reflected in the book.

Answer 11

• counter point to idea that tech is a practice
• entails more than material components and revolves around organizations and procedures
• is a mindset
• more of a broad definition than it being a practice

Question 12

What are your three supporting arguments for question 6? (system) elaborate

Answer 12

1. define culture of compliance, driving force behind mindset, prescriptive techs
2. infrastructures put in place product of system, Robert moses
3. industrial revolution, factories, sewing machine

Question 13

Question 7: What is the “real world of technology” and why is it a problem?

Answer 13

• phenomenon of enslavement of modern society
• due to culture of compliance
• lack of reciprocity, logic and efficiency take over social lives

Question 14

What are your three supporting arguments for question 7? (real world of tech) Elaborate

Answer 14

1. definining culture of compliance, prescriptive technology
2. industrial revolution, sewing machine,
3. communication tech, lack of reciprocity

Question 15

Question 8: Please explain the idea that the major component of technology is a mindset is developed and reflected in the book.

Answer 15

• mindset of what’s efficient = right thing to do
• dangerous to fall into (comply) to lure of efficiency
• hard to change, lack of reciprocity

Question 16

What are your three supporting arguments for question 8? (mindset) Elaborate

Answer 16

• culture of compliance, prescriptive vs. holistic
• industrial revolution, modern day mindset, factories
• communication tech, all efficient, complete lack of reciprocity