CHAPTER 2
TECHNOLOGY IN SOCIETY: A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
Multiple Choice Questions
1. WhendidtheStoneAgeoccur?
a) 1billionyearsago
b) 39millionyearsago
c) 2.6millionyearsago
d) 400,000yearsago
2. Whatdoes“materialculture”referto?
a) Theinterrelationthatexistsbetweenanartifactandthesocietythatusesit
b) Theisolationrequiredbyinventorsinordertocreatecomplexnewtechnologies
c) Thepervasivenessoftechnologyincontemporarysociety
d) Thestudyofthephysicalaspectsoftoolsdivorcedfromtheirinfluenceonnorms, attitudes,orbehaviours
3. Whichofthefollowingtermswasintroducedtodescribetheactionsthatworkerstook againstthetechnologiesthatreplacedthemduringtheIndustrialRevolution?
a) Mechanismsabotaging
b) Techstriking
c) Machinebreaking
d) Steelstealing
4. TheAgriculturalRevolutionwasakeytransitionfromhunter-gathererstohorticultural societies.Whatisneededforhorticulturalsocietiestobesuccessful?
a) Theyrequirecitizenstobewaryofpotentialenemieswhocancopytheirinnovation
b) Theyneedaplacetosettlethatintegratesdifferenteco-systems
c) Theyrequireahighlyhierarchicalformoforganizationtothrive
d) Theyrequireindividualstoplanandorganizethemselves
5. WhichofthefollowingareasofstudyhadanimpactonbuildingconstructioninGreece andinRome?
a) Perspectiveeffects
b) Theaqueducts
c) Scientificmethod
d) Greekphilosophy
6. Whichstatementappliestolow-definitionmedia?
a) Itoffersusersagreaterdegreeofmobilityandreach
b) Itprovidesuserswithlessinformationandthusrequiresagreaterparticipation fromthesensesinordertobeunderstood
c) Itengagesasinglesenseatlowersensorylevels
d) Itdisprovesthelinkbetweenmassmediaproductionandconsumptionandthe emergenceofamassaudience
7. Amazon'sprimaryreasonforusingarobotworkforcetomoveproductsfromone locationtoanotherinthewarehouseis:
a) reducehumanerror
b) reducecost
c) increaseefficiencyduringpeakshipping
d) increaseoverallrevenue
8. Whichofthefollowingdescribesswarmdrones?
a) Coloniesofarmeddronesthatcanattackanentirearmyfromadistance
b) Coordinateddronesthatcarryspyingequipment
c) Coordinateddronesthatcanrescuemilitarypersonnel
d) Coloniesofarmeddronesthatactinacoordinatedfashioninwarzones
9. McLuhandifferentiatedbetweenhotandcool/coldmedia,whichofthefollowingisa goodexampleofacool/coldmedium?
a) E-book
b) Magazine
c) Book
d) Television
10.Whyistooluseanexampleofanevolutionarymodeloftechnologicaldevelopment?
a) Toolsbuilduponexistingknowledge
b) Toolsaretheproductsofinventorsworkinginisolation
c) Toolsarethepurecreationsoftheoryandingenuity
d) Toolshavetheirownagencyandcannotbecontrolled
11.WhichofthefollowingisconsideredatechnologicalinnovationleadingtotheNeolithic period?
a) Cavepainting
b) Agriculture
c) Marriageritual
d) Animalbutchery
12.Whichofthefollowingtechnologiesisagoodexampleoftimeacceleration?
a) Datascience
b) Printingpress
c) Giantmagnetoresistance(GMR)
d) Smartphones
13.Whatwasoneofthemostimportanttoolsarisingfromthetechnologicalrevolutionof themid-fifteenthcentury?
a) Theilluminatedmanuscript
b) TheChinesewoodblockprint
c) Thehand-copiedbook
d) TheGutenbergprintingpress
14.Whowasoneofthefirstscholarstodrawattentiontomassmedia’seffectsonsociety?
a) DenisDiderot
b) AlbertBandura
c) MarshallMcLuhan
d) PaulMoore
15.Whichofthefollowingscenariosisthebestexampleofthephrase“themediumisthe message ”?
a) AcouplewatchesthesameTVshowatthesametimeeveryweek.
b) RegardlessofwhatachildiswatchingonTV,thefactthatthechildiswatchingTVis whatdeterminestheeffectonthechildandonfamilydynamics.
c) Ateenagerlistenstomusicwhileperformingothertasks,suchassittinginclassand eatingdinneratthetable.
d) Agroupofchildrenpreferstostayhomeandplayvideogamestogetherratherthan enrollinginleaguesportssuchassoccerorbaseball.
16.Whichofthefollowingisanexampleof“hot”media?
a) Books
b) Cartoons
c) WatchingTV
d) Attendingaseminar
17.Statistareportsthatthetimepeoplespentwatchingtelevisionisdown.Howtime peopledidpeoplespendwatchingTVin2018?
a) 270minutesofTVperday
b) 350minutesofTVperday
c) 150minutesofTVperday
d) 90minutesofTVperday
18.CanadianmediascholarMarshallMcLuhanhassaidthatsocietytendstoapproach technologicaldevelopmentsbymarchingbackwardsintothefuture.Thisisreferredto as:
a) Technologicaldeterminism
b) Rear-viewmirrorapproach
c) Timeacceleration
d) Datascience
19.Amazonisaglobalecommercegiant.Yet,Amazonhashadtodealwithdifferent regulationsindifferentcountries.Whichofthefollowingcountrieshasbeenimposinga strongregulatoryframeworkonAmazon,complicatingtheirbusinessoperations?
a) China
b) US
c) France
d) Canada
20.Whichofthefollowingtermsdescribesthischaracteristicofbigdata:theaccuracy, reliability,andqualityofthedata?
a) Virtue
b) Volume
c) Veracity
d) Value
True or False Questions
1. Scholarsofthehistoryoftechnologyacknowledgethattoolsbuildonexisting knowledge,makingtechnologicaldevelopmentanevolutionary,ratherthana revolutionary,process.
2. Acoinanditsroleinbuyinggoodsandservicesisanexampleofmaterialculture.
3. TheearliestevidenceoftechnologydatesbacktotheuseoftoolsintheNeolithic period.
4. Bothagricultureanddomesticationofanimalsareconsideredtechnologicalinventions.
5. Insedentarysocieties,individualsallhavethesamerole,leadingtoastrongsenseof community.
6. Thedrivingforcebehindbasicresearchistheideaofscientificinquiryasitrelatesto practicalapplications.
7. Dataratherthanoilisdescribedastherawmaterialofthe21st Century
8. Virtuedescribestheaccuracy,reliability,andqualityofthedata.
9. Giantmagnetoresistance(GMR)isanexampleoftimeacceleration
Short Answer Questions
1. Whatdoesitmeanifsomethingissaidtohavefollowedanevolutionarymodelof
Technology and Society: Social Networks, Power, and Inequality, Third Edition © Oxford University Press Canada, 2020
2. Definetechnologytransfer,givinganexampleofthishappeningwithinatrade,andalso acrosstrades.
3. ExplainwhatMarshallMcLuhanmeantwhenhesaid,"Themediumisthemessage."
4. Whatcharacterizestheperiodoftimeacceleration?
5. Howarehigh-andlow-definitionmediadifferent?Useexamplestoillustrateyour response.
Long Answer Questions
1. AkeyinventionoftheRenaissanceisthedevelopmentbyJohannesGutenbergofthe printingpress.Howdidtheprintingpressimpactsocietyatthetime?Whatwerethe keychangesthatoccurred?Doyouthinkthisisanexampleoftechnological determinism?Why?Orwhynot?
2. Bigdataanddatasciencearebecominganintegralpartofgovernance.Whatarethe mainadvantagesofusingabigdataapproachtosolvingsocietalproblems?Whatare someofthenegativeaspectsofbigdataapproaches?Also,discussethicalissues.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. c(p.27)
2. a(p.27)
3. c(p.38)
4. d(p.29)
5. a(p.32)
6. b(p.40)
7. c(pp 25–26)
True or False Questions
1. T(p.27)
2. T(pp.27–28)
3. F(p.28)
ANSWER KEY
8. d(p.37)
9. d(p.40)
10.a(p.25–26)
11.b(p.29)
12.c(p.44)
13.d(p.33)
14.c(p.39)
4. T(p.29)
5. F(p.31)
6. F(p.32)
15.b(p.39)
16.a(p.40)
17.a(p.39–40)
18.b(p.41)
19.c(p.46)
20.c(p.43)
7. T(p.42)
8. F(p.43)
9. T(pp.44–45)
Technology and Society: Social Networks, Power, and Inequality, Third Edition