Society and Technological Change

892 Words2 Pages

1. From the “Writing” sections of this module: The first writing, Cuneiform, developed in Mesopotamian cities around 3000BC. What “big problem” was writing created to solve?

Writing really emerged separately in three regions independently of one another. Those regions are Central and South America, Mesopotamia, and Asia. It is generally accepted that writing (Cuneiform) came about in Mesopotamia as a means of documenting transactions and keeping track of merchandises. Let's say, one mark on a clay tablet intended to be one unit of something (bushel of grains, livestock, etc.), two marks intended to be two unit, and so on. From there individuals understood that if you could represent numbers in writing, then you could as well characterize words. In this way, individuals could communicate with each other deprived of having to be physically present. The Mesopotamian form of writing progressed into all western and Middle Eastern writing form used in the present day.

2. Open the link within this module and read the excerpt from James Burke’s the Axemaker’s Gift. Also, review the end of the “Writing” section of this module. Then explain in your own words the “Cut and Control” Theory that is presented there. Discuss whether or not you agree with the theory by considering whether such things as your SSN, student ID numbers, and Driver’s License numbers make it easier to control you and whether or not this is a bad thing.

The cut and control theory can be describe as a way that the government has the right to control us by assigning us with numbers. I do not agree with this theory. The government does not control what we do but they used numbers such SSN and driver’s license number to identify who we are.

3. From the “Printing” section...

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... be closed somewhat by cell phones and other mobile devices.

The phrase “digital divide” illustrates the fact that the world can be divide into people who do and people who do not have access to and/or the capability to use modern-day information technology, such as the telephone and the Internet. For instance, “78.6 percent of North America’s residents were Internet users, but only 13.5 percent of Africa’s population had this capability.” (Volti 2014). There have been attempts to close this opening of the digital divide by bringing reasonably priced mobile phones to these people and countries with limited access. For example, “in Africa are even able to use their phones as mobile banks that allows them to store money, transfer funds, and pay bills.” (Volti 2014).

References

Volti, Rudi. 2014. "Society and Technological Change." 263-275. New York: Worth.

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