Difference between revisions of "325--2011--Week 2 Questions/Comments"
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Matthew's point about lifestyle is for me the central argument in the McGaw article. She first talks about how we look at technological innovation completely wrong. Where it isn't just about the plow, but also the farmer who owns the plow. The question we need to ask/analyze is not what was invented and why, but how was it used? Looking through what people owned at that time, provides a look into what people needed to fit that lifestyle. Then we can begin to learn more about what that lifestyle was like. I think after that point she talks about our assumption that people then were technologically self-sufficient.(23) Which according to the data is a false assumption. Because more household had candles than candle molds. The candles were coming from somewhere else, possibly a market of some sort. She bring up various other tools to support this point. Then she turns back to lifestyle, because it was lifestyle which tended to influence what type of tools households owned. She mentioned the Germans in York, influencing the tools the British used, because they were more commonplace. Because someone saw it was being used, they decided to use it too. However, in places which lacked those tools (and Germans apparently) there seemed to be hardly any use of it. So looking into the history of technology is also a study of economy, lifestyle, and communication. - Jenn | Matthew's point about lifestyle is for me the central argument in the McGaw article. She first talks about how we look at technological innovation completely wrong. Where it isn't just about the plow, but also the farmer who owns the plow. The question we need to ask/analyze is not what was invented and why, but how was it used? Looking through what people owned at that time, provides a look into what people needed to fit that lifestyle. Then we can begin to learn more about what that lifestyle was like. I think after that point she talks about our assumption that people then were technologically self-sufficient.(23) Which according to the data is a false assumption. Because more household had candles than candle molds. The candles were coming from somewhere else, possibly a market of some sort. She bring up various other tools to support this point. Then she turns back to lifestyle, because it was lifestyle which tended to influence what type of tools households owned. She mentioned the Germans in York, influencing the tools the British used, because they were more commonplace. Because someone saw it was being used, they decided to use it too. However, in places which lacked those tools (and Germans apparently) there seemed to be hardly any use of it. So looking into the history of technology is also a study of economy, lifestyle, and communication. - Jenn | ||
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| + | To change the subject somewhat, what particularly struck me was McGaw's take on frontiersman sort of spearheading the push for industrialization spurred by their technological creativity. Does anyone have a take on this? I have always thought that farmers, ranchers and the like have been looked down upon by "modern" eyes. In truth, they are constantly helping to evolve their industry to make it more efficient, productive and less labor intensive. As jacks-of-all-trades it stands to reason that real genius can be found in their solutions to problems they encounter. One part artist, one part engineer (so why didn't you get a bonus for choosing a farmer in Oregon Trail?). --JoshW. | ||
== American Colonial Wealth (Document A) == | == American Colonial Wealth (Document A) == | ||
