Difference between revisions of "325--2011--Week 11 Questions/Comments"
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(New page: In previous readings, we learned the gender implications of technology and the effects that technology had on gender. In the article by Cowan, it was interesting that Romantics seemed reac...) |
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| + | == Cowan Reading == | ||
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In previous readings, we learned the gender implications of technology and the effects that technology had on gender. In the article by Cowan, it was interesting that Romantics seemed reacted quite negatively towards manufacturing machines. It is not surprising given the ideals held by the Romantics, but it is an interesting perspective. Technology affects art. The boom of technology at the turn of the century may have also led to the creation of the Arts and Crafts Style house, which was popular during this same time period. Ironically, a lot of the detail elements on these homes were manufactured in factories. | In previous readings, we learned the gender implications of technology and the effects that technology had on gender. In the article by Cowan, it was interesting that Romantics seemed reacted quite negatively towards manufacturing machines. It is not surprising given the ideals held by the Romantics, but it is an interesting perspective. Technology affects art. The boom of technology at the turn of the century may have also led to the creation of the Arts and Crafts Style house, which was popular during this same time period. Ironically, a lot of the detail elements on these homes were manufactured in factories. | ||
~~Kyle Allwine | ~~Kyle Allwine | ||
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| + | "People have many different – often surprising – ideas about technology and many different – of times surprising – reactions to technological change.” I completely agree with the statement, when reading this article I thought certain means of technology like diagnosing people based on how their pulse felt was a bit out there.''' A ''Social History of American Technology'' talked about the origins of the word technology. In the 18th century, the term “technology” meant “knowledge of the arts.”''' All ideas about nature, social status, skill, gender, God, and politics are connected to one another in relation to the history of technology. To me, before I took this class I only thought of technology as modern day inventions such as computers and software. However, I think it is very interesting that this article discusses romantic industrialization and scientific management. – Megan Gallagher | ||
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| + | I found this reading interesting, especially the first part that discussed the development of the blood pressure cuff. I think sometimes we forget where things came from and do not consider how things would be if we did not have certain items. '''It is hard for me to imagine that doctors did not want to use a blood pressure cuff, with one of the reasons being it would take away from the intimacy of the doctor/patient relationship. This exact problem is discussed heavily in the medical field today. The blood pressure cuff appears to be the beginning of medical technology, but is it also perhaps the beginning of a drift away from the doctor/patient relationship?''' --Meagan B. | ||
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| + | I thought that the part about "Technology and Associated Ideas" was really interesting because it explained when "technology" became "technology" and the prior definition and uses of technology. One quote that really struck me was when Cowan says, "Technology has meaning in relation to gender..." (p. 204) explaining that we think of some technologies as male (primarily industrial) and others as female (primarily domestic). Like Kyle said, we did learn that gender had effects on technology and vice versa. Seeing that gender affects technology, Cowan expands to include it in a greater web, connected to nature, social status, skill, God, and politics. All of these are apart of technology and all have an impact on shaping American technology. -Claire Brooks | ||
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| + | While reading this passage I thought of all the different opinions people could have about technology in general and the development of technology as a whole. It makes me think of the pros and cons. Technology has become a big part of society. To use the example of the evolution of bombs. It impacted the lives of thousands of people, but in the same aspect it kept order in the world in accordance to the United States. I thought about the different outlooks people could have on this issue. People now realize the impact the development of technology has on others along with ourselves. -Jeff | ||
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| + | As I read this material I couldn't help but reflect on technology and all the various implications it puts on daily life. I feel that as we are living in an age of rapidly expanding technology,''' we tend to forget how fast we are producing, consuming and spending unecessary money on the iPhone 14 that came out 2 months after the iPhone 13.''' I believe we need to accept and embrace technology and its evolution in our culture but at what point do we remember that this is all moving extremely fast? Where are the people that teach us how to edfficiently produce, consume and save in this growing period? I believe the people that we normally look to to teach us (an older generation) is learning at the same pace as people of my generatino are, if not maybe a little slower. I guess I have to face the facts that my generatino will probably be the first generation with an adequate amount of knowledge to teach our children. | ||
| + | --Stephanie Lipscomb | ||
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| + | One of the parts to this reading that I found to be most interesting was the idea that Americans related technology with something else. They related technology to nature, gender, social class, skill, and god. I realized that in this day and age we still associate these same ideas, we still attribute certain technologies with woman rather than men, we equate a person’s ability to use advanced technology with their education and skill. The type of technology that a person owns, in their profession or in their home is related to the amount of wealth they have (their social class). As we have seen often during this class, technological advancements are more than simply completing the job they were designed for. The technologies have impacted American culture in numerous ways. -Kathleen Mead | ||
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| + | == Smith and Clancey documents == | ||
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| + | '''The “How Electricity Effects Economy in the Home and Adds to the Happiness of the Family,” section out of the Smith and Clancey reading was interesting to read as an educator, because the use of radios in child play is the equivalent of the modern integration of technology in the classrooms. The theory or idea behind it is that play can lead to innovation.''' | ||
| + | ~~Kyle Allwine | ||
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| + | I thought the suggestion in '''"How Electricity Effects Economy in the Home..." about how if only wives and mothers were to spend a few more dollars on electrically lit things, the husband would want to spend more time at home. When there's electricity, the author implied that the children are more eager to see their father, the house is warmer and more cheerful, and the family is more unified. I think this seems to be an awful lot of importance placed on technology, especially when talking about family relations.''' However, the essay, a prize-winning one, illuminates how important electricity and the developments that came from it were viewed. With only a little technology, the family has been saved and happiness is restored. | ||
| + | -Sara Krechel | ||
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| + | The section on electricity in the home was a reminder of how technology is constantly advancing and making our lives easier. Electricity supplies us with warmth, a way to preserve our food, light, and just about every leisure activity. What this article reminded me of how different our lives would be without it. Classrooms would not have powerpoint presentations or be able to be used at night. Stores with electricity can stay open hours later in order to sell goods to the public. Places are so reliant on electricity that most stores now have a generator just to keep the store running. --Patrick Kramer | ||
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| + | '''The essay on electricity in the home was interesting. When it stated the part about fathers would be more apt to spend more time in the home, children would be more eager to see their fathers, and the family is more unified you can't help but feel like you're reading an advertisement.''' They did a good job of promoting electricity. Although it may sound a tad far fetched to us now for them back then who were just being introduced to electricity these advantages problem seemed likely. If there was a lot of emphasis placed on family togetherness then this was certainly the route to go. | ||
| + | --Sheri Foster | ||
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| + | I agree with Sheri, I felt like the Cleavers were going to be in that ad. I wonder if they didn't use the family as propaganda, would electricity have caught on so fast?--Pam Petzold | ||
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| + | '''I found Fern van Bramer's winning essay, "How Electricity Effects Economy in the Home and Adds to the Happiness of the Family" to be a fascinating piece of propaganda. It frankly surprises me that Commonwealth Edison chose as their winning essay a piece that so blatantly catered not only to electricity but also to Commonwealth Edison itself.''' This essay was also interesting because of what it portrayed about gender and family roles: if a man ends up in a saloon, pool room, or dance hall, it is the wife who is at fault. In choosing not to expend the additional money to buy brighter electric lighting, the wife is telling her husband that she does not want the home to be a warm, welcoming place filled with smiling children, and she does not want to have more energy when he comes home because she had the aid of her electricity all day. This parallels print advertisements of the period, which portray wives as being horrible members of the family if they fail to [... fill in the blank]. The saccharine oversimplification of the essay is a fascinating example of a cultivated response--no doubt Fern van Bramer would have different ideas of economy were she not applying for a prize given out by Commonwealth Edison. | ||
| + | --Nicole Steck | ||
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| + | Smith and Clancey’s section titled Colonial Radio Saves Wasted Motion, brought two things to mind. It was interesting to me that they were teaching classes full of women for radio repairs. Tools such as screwdrivers, pliers, soldering operations, and nuts and bolts sound like things we would normally be hearing men work with. The second thing this section brought to me was a concept called Operational Excellence, a department I had an internship with at Philadelphia Coca-Cola one summer. OE'S main objective is to reduce operation cost and wastes, without affecting quality, time delivery and cost of products and services one has to offer. Both Smith and Clancey’s section and the concept of Operational Excellence share to goal of creating a way in which to grain optimal production using the least amount of physical activity. :: Mike Roche:: | ||
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| + | I found the "Colonial Radio Saves Wasted Motion" part to be very interesting because it supports the idea of efficiency that was so useful in American production. I found it interesting that they were speaking towards women and that they relate industry work to domestic work when they say, "Just as you in your home attempt to find the best way of performing your household duties, so, in industry, were attempt to find the best way of doing things required of us," (p. 363). More American women were beginning to work outside the home and the Colonial Radio Corporation was one of the businesses operating training schools to create a more efficient and useful new labor class. -Claire Brooks | ||
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| + | In Smith & Clancy section, I found it very interesting take on reading actual passages from the early 20th century on the wireless telegraph and lighting in homes. To read how eager and arrogant society was on those technologies was informative and entertaining. I very much enjoyed reading the passage from Jan. 1913 regarding teaching boys how to install a wireless telegraph station “..may prove profitable to the boys in after life.” – Megan Gallagher | ||
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| + | I thought it was very intersting when Kyle said that the use of radios in children playing as being the equivalent of the modern integration of technology in the classrooms. Maybe its a little varied today with all the different kinds of Macs and iWhatevers, but '''I guess children playing with the radios is still a form of technology knowledge building. After all, I had to ask for help 5 times in 3 minutes with my friend's new Droid before finally giving up and blaspheming technology today. Does that count as building my technologic knowledge?''' | ||
| + | --Stephanie Lipscomb | ||
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| + | Reading this article of how the radio and telegraphy industry was driven by amatures reminds me very heavily of modern day computer technology. Broadcasting technology was pioneered by amatures; very intelligent people who were able to explore telegraphy to their heart's content thanks to the lack of regulation and relative ease with which they could attain resources to continue their experimentations. '''Thier lack of organization actually allowed many different people to develop many different patterns of thought and thus led to many different and innovative (as well as useless) designs which shaped broadcasting. This is in sharp contrast to the end of the article which shows that, while teaching people how to assemble a radio in the fastest way, it does not encourage innovation which then does not improve the industry. This is fine for commerical success, but again, it does nothing to improve the product.''' Also, putting regulations on independent broadcasting stations also hampered creativity and innovation, though it did prevent wild and unchecked implimentatoin of radios, such as individuals who interfered with Navy and Army channels. '''Getting back to how this relates to modern tech; we have access to ubiquitous technology which can be obtained by just about anyone and provided you are very intelligent and at least know someone who has access to better tech than you do, you can help develop new and innovative pieces of computer software or hardware. This has led to many independent people developing new technologies and programs, as well as file sharing networks, independent repair shops and so on.''' ''Of course, the internet being what it is, this is almost impossible to regulate (unlike radio broadcasting, which allowed supervisors to trace a communication to a physical location), though many officials try, leading to misshaps just like those interfering with Naval broadcasting. Hackers lead to things like Wikileaks or identity theft.'' '''Though it is because technologically minded people have easy access to poorly-regulated equipment and processes, they are able to drive the industry forward by leaps and bounds every year (especially when hired by companies who see their talent and pull them out of their garages).''' - Scott | ||
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| + | I thought the section of the article entitled “Colonial Radio Saves Wasted Motion” was very interesting. The section described how young girls were trained on assembly lines in the 1930’s. This was an awful and immoral practice – forcing young girls into mind-numbing work on an assembly line, while creating the illusion that they were being trained and were acquiring innovative new skills and practices. No matter how interesting managers may have tried to make the grind and daily tasks of assembly line operations seem, it all comes back to the basic fact that those young girls were forced into the workplace away from any type of education or personal advancement. The article also mentioned how important the philosophy of scientific management was to the assembly lines in which these girls worked, and how important it was that they wasted no energy and became as efficient as possible. W'''orkforce “training” like this was not innovative or positive in any way – it was simply exploitation.''' ~Kevin Gottschalk | ||
