. In fact, it seems to literally be even in the soup. But you
have wondered how you see technology and if that vision is a wide or narrow one.
In this sense, these questions, among others, shall be answered here so that
their possible responses may favor the resolution of your daily problems,
without such answers are being considered as kitchen recipes.
So, when you think about technology, perhaps the
first things that come to your mind are computers, smartphones or digital tablets,
for instance. But can you just think about technology in that sense? This can merely
happen if your notion of technology is narrow. The dictionary by Merriam-Webster,
in this way, defines the concept in question, according to one of its meanings,
as “the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area:
ENGINEERING…".
But what if that notion could be extended? Since, in this case,
technology would also embrace the ordered ways of doing something, a task, for
example. In effect, the notion in question would also include work methods (or
techniques), and not just technological artefacts. Here, by the way, it is
worth clarifying the following question: Are technique and technology the same
thing? No, they are not the same thing. Its main difference is related to the
improvement dimension, that is, technology undergoes improvements, but not techniques
[1].
For example, a technology is a VCR, which is related to home theater, due
to such a technology has undergone improvements over time, this is, it has
passed from VCR to Betamax, from this to VHS, from this to DVD, and from this
to Blu-ray. And finally, from Blu-ray to streaming platforms. Otherwise, a
technique (or a set of techniques) may be the way of preparing colaciones (traditional
candies made in Quito, Ecuador) since it would not have got improvements more
than 100 years ago, according to Luis Banda (published by one of the newspapers
of Ecuador El Comercio, digital version -April 4, 2015). By the way, Mr. Banda
would possibly be the only one person in Ecuador, or at least in city of Quito,
who would still continue producing such candies, nowadays.
A wide definition of the concept in question may be suggested, thus, so
that it may favor in a better way the understanding of what technology is. Like
this, ‘technology is a set of methods, techniques, procedures, processes, artefacts,
tools and knowledge that undergo improvements over time, which allow
individuals and collectives not just to know about something, but also helps
them to develop general and/or specific solutions so as to resolve their daily
problems’ [2].Otherwise, when may technology be considered as
such? A technology may be called technology when it contributes to solve
practical questions, for instance. Besides, different or similar technological
objects could contribute to resolve the same problem. So, for example, why are
only some of those objects known and/or used by people? Because a technological
object in order to be considered a technological artefact would not just rely
on that such object is useful for people and is made up of certain elements, from
an electronic or digital nature, but would also need the consensus of specific stakeholders
(investors, producers, technologists, among other social actors) so as to be
declared as technological artefact [3]. In this sense, Wiebe E. Bijker, an
expert in Social studies of technology, indicates, among other questions, that
‘society is constructed technologically, and technology is constructed socially’
[4].It may be said, thus, that technological artefacts
may be those that have become to be known and/or to be used by people, and others
that have not become to be known and/or to be used by people may be named
technological objects, for instance [5].In short, the ideas what have been suggested in the
present article could not have been expected by you, but if you see technology
from another perspective, so you could be able to solve problems which have not
been solved yet, for example. Thus, we should not forget that new lenses may
give you the possibility of seeing the world in a dissimilar way.
[1]Salazar, Ronnie (2011). Algunos obstáculos en la gestión de la innovación tecnológica para la
competitividad: ¿cómo superarlos? Disponible en: https://es.calameo.com/books/0024585924f7e7c39283e
[2]Ibid,
Salazar, 2011.
[3]For more information, refer to
Thomas, Hernán y Buch, Alfonso (2013). Actos, actores y artefactos. Sociología
de la tecnología. Bernal: Universidad Nacional de Quilmes Editorial.
[4]Bijker, Wiebe E. (1995). Of bicycles,
bakelites and bulbs. Cambridge: The MIT press.
[5]Ibid, Thomas y Buch, 2013.
