Technology Choice: A Critique Of The Appropriate Technology Movement

Technology Choice Technology Choice A Critique of the Appropriate Technology Movement Kelvin W. Willoughby 1990 Westview Press BOULDER & LONDON This book is dedicated to Anna, my daughter, who has surprised me with joy and hope. Contents Preface xi Part One Conceptual Groundwork 1 Introduction: The Concept of Technology Choice 3 Prolegomena: The Rise of Technology Studies, 3 The Problem of Inappropriate Technology, 5 The Emergence of Technology Choice as a Policy Concept, 9 The Promises and Problems of Appropriate Technology, 11 2 Technological Semantics 15 Definition of Appropriate Technology, 15 Definition of Technology, 25 Nomenclature, 38 3 Appropriate Technology as a Social Movement 45 Existing Literature on the Movement, 45 Distinguishing Between the Movement and its Artefacts, 48 Part Two The Appropriate Technology Movement 4 Schumacher!and Intermediate!Technology: Foundations Schumacher: Progenitor of Intermediate Technology, 55 Intermediate Technology: Origins of the Concept, 59 Intermediate Technology: Statement of Problems, 72 Intermediate Technology: Diagnosis of Problems, 82 vii 55 viii 5 Contents Schumacher!and Intermediate!Technology: Developments 99 Intermediate Technology: Proposed Solutions, 99 Intermediate Technology: Some Practical Examples, 118 Intermediate Technology: Organizational Requirements, 131 International Response to Intermediate Technology, 136 6 Appropriate Technology in the South 141 Small-scale Industries, 141 Basic Needs and Alternative Development Strategies, 145 Village Technology, 149 International Equity, 151 Intranational Equity and Self-Reliance, 153 Food Production and Health, 155 Transport and Building, 157 Energy, 158 Environmentally Sound Development, 162 Political and Cultural Freedom, 163 7 Appropriate Technology in the North 169 Categorizing the Movement, 169 Responses to the Technological Society, 171 "Humanized Technology", 175 Environmentalism, 176 Radical Technology-practice, 179 Energy Pathways, 185 Responses to Local Poverty and Unemployment, 191 Self-Sufficiency, 194 Democratization of Technology, 196 Community Technology-practice, 200 Response to Market Pressures, 203 Intelligent Engineering, 207 8 Emerging International Trends Technology for One World, 209 The Second Generation, 211 Institutional Factors, 213 Integrated and Comprehensive Analysis, 214 Four Foci of Appropriate Technology, 215 Appropriate Technology International, 216 Review, 219 209 Contents ix Part Three Prospects for Technology Choice 9 Criticisms of Appropriate Technology 223 Introduction, 223 General Criticisms, 225 Political Criticisms, 242 Overview of Criticisms, 259 10 An Integrated Framework 265 Three Dimensional Mode of Technology-practice, 266 Technological Fit, 269 Corollaries of Appropriate Technology, 273 Endogenous Technological Development, 285 Practical Holism, 293 Conceptual Clarification, 305 11 A Review of Plausible Criticisms 309 Socio-political Obstacles to Appropriate Technology, 309 Socio-technical Obstacles to Appropriate Technology, 311 Appropriate Technology and Autonomous Technology, 320 12 Facing the Future 331 The Problem, 331 Addressing the Problem, 333 The Practice of Technology Choice, 340 Index 345 Preface Technology is becoming the leitmotif of the modern world and a linchpin of the international economy. Businesses, governments, community organizations and individuals, seemingly everywhere, are looking to technology as a key to the attainment of their goal