Modern society involves the transition of a new era: the transition is partly brought out through the use of cultural tradition, and through the production of new ideas and the invention of new techniques. The latter may be appropriated and adapted from outside a given culture in addition to what can be acquired from within the culture itself by way of exercise of the academic, evaluative, and adaptive capacities.
A sustained interest in science is important for at least two reasons. It would provide an stable base for a real technological evolution at a time in the history of the world when the dynamic connections between science and technology have been recognized and made the basis of equal attention to both: technology has become science-based, while science has become technology-directed. The second reason, relative to the first, is that the application of science to technology will help improve traditional technologies.
Ideally, technology, as a cultural product, should take its rise from the culture of a people if it is to be accessible to a large number of the population. For this reason, one approach to creating modern technology in Africa, as elsewhere, is to improve existing traditional technologies whose development seem to have been underdeveloped in the traditional setting because of their very weak scientific base.
Traditional technologies have certain characteristics that must be featured in the approach of developing modern technology in Africa. Traditional technologies are usually simple, not highly specialized technologies: this means that large numbers of people can participate in the use of technologies, as well as contribute to their development; but it also promotes local technological awareness. The...
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...can be resolved; however, if we assume that there will be original technological capacities, regardless the minimum kind, that would therefore need to be nurtured, developed, and augmented to some level of sophistication required in operating a modern technology. The assumptions also presuppose that the transferred technology, developed in a specific cultural environment that is different in many ways from that of a developing country, it is easily adaptable to the social and cultural environment of the developing country (Etzioni Amitai.1993).
Works Cited
Dalfovo A. T., et al. The Foundations of Social Life: Ugandan Philosophical Studies. Vol. 1. Washington, D.C.: Council for Research in Values and Philosophy, 1992.
Etzioni Amitai. The Spirit of Community. The Reinvention of American Society. New York: Simon and Schuster, a Touchstone Book, 1993.
Mazrui, Ali A. "The Re-Invention of Africa: Edward Said, V. Y. Mudimbe, and Beyond." Research in African Literatures 36, no. 3 (Autumn 2005): 68-82.
Raffaele, Paul. "Uganda: The Horror." Smithsonian (Vol. 35, No. 11). Feb. 2005: 90-99. SIRS Issues
Poor countries do not always have resources to fit the bill of education services for technology. “For children in poor countries, future connectivity promises new access to educational tools…” (Schmidt 227). “Physical classrooms will remain dilapidated; teachers will continue to take paychecks and not show up for class; and books and supplies will still be scarce” (Schmidt 227). A survey was done in 2012 about Ethiopia give out tablets fully loaded with educational information to poor country; it irresistibly gave poor students a wealth of knowledge where students could write and speak English (Schmidt 227-228). Inversely, the education of poor countries has hit all time low. The countries that do not have the finance to buy or create technology for classes is detrimental to the country growth. Technology must be available for everyone. The world is hindered from becoming a better place without technology being present in education. “Just imagine the implications of these burgeoning mobile or tablet-based learning platforms for a country like Afghanistan,
As an amateur reporter for the school newspaper, I have had the opportunity to interview quite a variety of people on many different topics. One of my favorite questions to ask is, "What do you think has had the most influence on American culture?" Why do I like asking this particular question? The answer is simple: the variety and range of responses. While some answers are more interesting than others, I must say that I've learned quite a bit from all of them.
“Machines as the measure of men: Science, technology, and ideologies of western dominance” written by Michael Adas in 1989 revealed the Europeans’ perceptions on non-western people and cultures as well as how Europeans interacted towards Asians and Africans by making a comparison with their superiority in scientific and technological knowledge. The author discussed the key indicator of human progress in Chapter 3: “Global Hegemony and the Rise of Technology as the Main Measure of Human Achievement”, by representing the experiences of European explores and observers in Africa, India and China. I would like to discuss Michael Adas’s demonstration on the key indicator of human progress and how his argument affects the international development projects.
Toyin, Falola. “The Power of African Cultures.” Woodbridge, Suffolk, United Kingdom: University of Rochester Press, 2003. Print
The overriding challenge Uganda faces today is the curse of poverty. Poverty, ‘the lack of something”(“Poverty.”), something can be materials, knowledge, or anything one justifies as necessary to living. Associated with poverty is the question of what causes poverty and how to stop poverty? The poverty rate in Uganda has declined from the year 2002 from the year 2009, which shows the percent of residents living in poverty has decreasing. Yet, the year is 2014 and the poverty rate could have drastically changed over the course of five years. One could assume the poverty rate would continue to decrease, which would be astounding and beneficial, but does poverty ever decrease enough to an acceptable level or even nonexistence? Poverty is a complex issue that continues to puzzle people from all across the globe. Poverty could possible be a question that is never truly answered.
Unlike the past, technology is a big part of the global world today. The world is advancing in many different ways and technology is a big catalyst. As each day passes more technological advances are being put into effect. The Center of Technology states that “over just the last five years, technology has been rapidly changing and expanding in every field imaginable” (How Technology Has Changed Our Lives in the Last Five Years, 2013). With this in mind, it is difficult to fathom how much it will change in the years to come. In the past, many years of technology were implemented to change the rotary dialer phone to the “brick” cell phone. Changes now of days come faster than we can
Scientific, as a culture, can provide value in understanding the cultural, ideological, intellectual and aesthetic aspects. "We often think of science as something inescapably linked to progress, and of progress as continually marching forward. We assume that there is something inevitable about the increase of knowledge and the benefits this knowledge brings" (Irvine & Russell). Provide humanity with wisdom and speculative enjoyment. This enjoyment of the public is through reading, learning and thinking obtained. But scientists are met from the real research work. The development of scientific and technology, which are also, depend on culture and education progress. Educations have a cultural and technological knowledge and imparted training of personnel functions. Education is to promote the development of science and technology that is an important social factor. At the same time, advances in science and technology is an important factor in promoting cultural development, the use of modern information technology, the collection, transfer, storage means and methods of cultural resources has been a fundamental change, which greatly promoted the cultural transmission, inheritance and development. In a sense, science is a great adventure, is a stimulating and exciting career filled. It is made the human thirst for knowledge and curiosity satisfied, and so that people further
Adas, Michael. 1989. “Africa: Primitive Tools and the Savage Mind” In Machines as the Measure of Men: Science, Technology and Ideologies of Western Dominance, from Historical Problems of Imperial Africa. Edited by Robert O. Collins and James M. Burns, 30-39. Princeton: Markus Wiener Publishers.
...’s depictions of both traditional and modern beliefs in varying degrees illustrate the importance of both in contemporary Nigerian culture, as well as the greater Africa as a whole, and how both are intertwined and cannot exist without the other. In effect, she skillfully subverts stereotypes or single perceptions of Africa as backward and traditional, proving instead, the multifaceted culture of Africa. She further illustrates that neither traditional African nor western culture is necessarily detrimental. It is the stark contrast of the fundamental cultures that inevitably leads to clashes and disagreements. In the end, what holds African countries such as Nigeria together is their shared pride. Modern, western influences can bring positive changes to society, but new cultures cannot completely eradicate the foundational cultures to which a society is founded on.
Magesa, Laurenti. African Religion: The Moral Tradition of Abundant Life. Nairobi: Pauline Pub., Africa, 1998.
It has been suggested that African precolonial societies have had mining and metallurgy being of little significance to them. This essay will discuss how mining and metallurgy played a major significance in African pre-industrial societies. This will be done by looking at historical references and archaeological findings subjected to: how metal production was organised focusing on African livelihood, believes and rituals; the evaluation of the role played by metals in agriculture and hunting, political development and the economy. Under agriculture and hunting, it will be discussed as to how metal work increased yield and also led to advanced hunting tools. In political development emphasis will be placed on societal stratification and the
There is no doubt that European colonialism has left a grave impact on Africa. Many of Africa’s current and recent issues can trace their roots back to the poor decisions made during the European colonial era. Some good has resulted however, like modern medicine, education, and infrastructure. Africa’s history and culture have also been transformed. It will take many years for the scars left by colonization to fade, but some things may never truly disappear. The fate of the continent may be unclear, but its past provides us with information on why the present is the way it is.
The Europeans saw Africa as being a great place to obtain all types of resources from labor to natural materials. Items such as cotton, coal, rubber, copper, tin, gold, and other metals were considered very valuable and readily available in Africa (Nardo). The industrial revolution had already become a strong influence on the countries that attended the Conference. They had spent the past...