Nye review
different energy regimes and how
societies came to chose them
- primarily human muscle power
(native Americans)
- wind and animal power, small
scale water power, wood for heat (also middle ages)
- large scale water powered
factories (most of the 19th century in US, starting in
late 18th century in England)
- steam engine--common much earlier
in England but the US used this for urbanization more
than many other developing areas
- electricity, oil and natural gas,
combined with the automobile
- current shift towards
conservation and using more renewable energy
different economic regimes:
- local markets controlled by custom
- free market trade with controlled markets inside the
cities
- free market in goods and services--leads into the
industrial revolution
- development of large corporations
different cultural trends:
- Roman militarism
- new Christian ideas about work
- end of slavery in medieval Europe
- impact of the Renaissance--human beings can change the
world
- rise of consumer culture (eg. Mokyr)
- rise of big business
- end of the Cold War let to more emphasis on consumer
gadgets
Be careful that you write about how society shapes
technology, not about how technology shapes society
How does culture shape technology--through what is valued
and what is less valued. Cultures change and push
technology in different directions