Social Change by Jay Weinstein

Author:Jay Weinstein [Weinstein, Jay]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9781442203013
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Published: 2010-06-15T16:00:00+00:00

Summary

Millions of people who grew up in the era between World Wars I and II were greatly entertained and enchanted by a series of novels written under the pen name of Victor Appleton (originally, Howard Garris) featuring the young hero Tom Swift. In each book, Tom and his friends would be faced with a serious problem or mystery whose solution was beyond the capacities of relevant adults. Always able to grasp the essence of the problem, Tom would invent a gizmo made of simple objects, such as flashlight batteries and old bed springs that would trap a dangerous thief or lead the way to a lost treasure. In the end, Tom’s ingenuity would save the day, and he would be properly rewarded for his efforts as he gloried in his ability to show up the uncreative older folks. The message was clear: a clever boy could invent his way out of any problem.

As discussed in this chapter, the realities of technological innovation today have turned the Tom Swift model into a myth. As it has evolved during the twentieth century, the innovation process has become a highly complex, well-organized, and expensive undertaking. It is the work of groups, teams, laboratories, and universities, not free-lancing creative youngsters. Its products, including the gizmos of nuclear and human engineering, do not always and inevitably solve problems, and may, in fact, make things worse. Today’s Tom Swift would need a Ph.D. before he would be taken seriously by his elders, and a generous government research grant would contribute much to his credibility. Before he and his friends could chide the “old folks” for their timidity about considering bold breakthroughs, they would be wise to incorporate, buy some liability insurance, and hire an attorney (or find an imaginative corporate patron). Even then, they would need to concern themselves with the subtleties of adoption and adaptation, with the clear understanding that success in this realm depends as much on the appropriate political connections as it does on the laws of physics.

In the context of rapid globalization, sociocultural change will continue to be propelled by technology in unprecedented ways and at a hitherto unattained speed. Unfortunately, the choices we make about the kinds of technologies to promote and the actual results they will have—that is, whether they will save the day (when, most observers agree, the day needs some serious “saving”)—depend on far more than the simple good will of a bright, inventive kid. Where we travel on our information super-highway and what we will do when we get there is still very much a matter of human control and volition. But, as is true of everything else about our dynamic world, it is a journey bound to be riddled with complexity, contradiction, and uncertainty. There may no longer be any sure and “Swift” solutions to our technological problems.

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