Consider a technology invented outside of the U.S. in electrical engineering since 1900 (750 words minimum). The invention must be in electrical engineering, not another engineering field.
(a) Describe the cultural and social factors that led to this technology’s “invention.” You need to describe two factors specifically (cultural, social, economic, etc).
(b) Describe how this invention has evolved and influenced the culture of the U.S.
Note that you should NOT write about World Wide Web since it is given as an example in class
Background to advise on this assignment:
• “Society” is just the regular activities and conditions of a population. A primary implication, looking across the many activities, is the relationships amongst the members — who is linked to who, and, the roles played in any joint activities (e.g., who has authority, legitimacy, etc.). Other primary implications: wealth distributions, justice/fairness for various sub-populations, demographics, etc.
• “Culture” is best understood as the distinctive elements of a social system. Often these are also considered significant by the population. Cultural elements reveal core values.
• This assignment asks you to describe the conditions surrounding an invention in another culture. So, determine what native problems, for that culture in that time, motivated the invention (as well, perhaps, as specific requirements/parameters to best fit within and serve the cultural interest/need).
• Then, the assignment asks for influence on the U.S. culture. A powerful way to do this is to identify key behaviors (more broadly, joint behaviors or social routines) that are affected … we used to do this this way, perhaps with a prior technology, and then we came to do it this new way based on the imported/absorbed foreign technology. Now consider how U.S. culture may have changed, in some spanning sense, if there was widespread use of the new technology. [I.e., it doesn’t matter much for a culture if just one or a few people do something differently, unless that difference has extraordinary influence. What matters is a change made by many, in a way that will be similar and so broadly observed, owing to use of the new technology.]
• Last, consider the evolution of the technology, either outside of or within the U.S., and note how evolution of the technology is important to understanding its influence (e.g., perhaps it was adapted in the U.S. to meet somewhat different interests/needs/requirements than those of the originating/inventing country).