"This book examines three interlocking topics that are central to all archaeological and anthropological inquiry: the role of technology in human existence; the reproduction of social traditions; the factors that generate cultural diversity and change. The overall aim is to outline a new kind of approach for researching variability and transformation in human material culture, and the main argument is that these technological traditions exhibit heritable continuity: they consist of information stored in human brains and then passed onto others through social learning. Technological traditions can therefore be understood as manifestations of a complex transmission system, and applying this new perspective to human material culture builds on, but also largely transcends, much of the earlier work conducted by archaeologists and anthropologists into the significance, function and social meanings associated with tools, objects and vernacular architecture"--
Smart phones, tablets, Facebook, Twitter, and wireless Internet connections are the latest technologies to have become entrenched in our culture. Although traditionalists have argued that computer-mediated communication and cyberspace are incongruent with the study of folklore, Trevor J. Blank sees the digital world as fully capable of generating, transmitting, performing, and archiving vernacular culture. Folklore in the Digital Age documents the emergent cultural scenes and expressive folkloric communications made possible by digital “new media” technologies. New media is changing the ways in which people learn, share, participate, and engage with others as they adopt technologies to complement and supplement traditional means of vernacular expression. But behavioral and structural overlap in many folkloric forms exists between on- and offline, and emerging patterns in digital rhetoric mimic the dynamics of previously documented folkloric forms, invoking familiar social or behavior customs, linguistic inflections, and symbolic gestures. Folklore in the Digital Age provides insights and perspectives on the myriad ways in which folk culture manifests in the digital age and contributes to our greater understanding of vernacular expression in our ever-changing technological world.
Technology as Human Social Tradition outlines a novel approach to studying variability and cumulative change in human technology—prominent research themes in both archaeology and anthropology. Peter Jordan argues that human material culture is best understood as an expression of social tradition. In this approach, each artifact stands as an output of a distinctive operational sequence with specific choices made at each stage in its production. Jordan also explores different material culture traditions that are propagated through social learning, factors that promote coherent lineages of tradition to form, and the extent to which these cultural lineages exhibit congruence with one another and with language history. Drawing on the application of cultural transmission theory to empirical research, Jordan develops a descent-with-modification perspective on the technology of Northern Hemisphere hunter-gatherers. Case studies from indigenous societies in Northwest Siberia, the Pacific Northwest Coast, and Northern California provide cross-cultural insights related to the evolution of material culture traditions at different social and spatial scales. This book promises new ways of exploring some of the primary factors that generate human cultural diversity in the deep past and through to the present.
The major purpose of this book is to illustrate and explain the fundamental similarities and correspondences between humankind's oldest and newest thought-technologies: oral tradition and the Internet. Despite superficial differences, both technologies are radically alike in depending not on static products but rather on continuous processes, not on "What?" but on "How do I get there?" In contrast to the fixed spatial organization of the page and book, the technologies of oral tradition and the Internet mime the way we think by processing along pathways within a network. In both media it's pathways--not things--that matter. To illustrate these ideas, this volume is designed as a "morphing book," a collection of linked nodes that can be read in innumerable different ways. Doing nothing less fundamental than challenging the default medium of the linear book and page and all that they entail, Oral Tradition and the Internet shows readers that there are large, complex, wholly viable, alternative worlds of media-technology out there--if only they are willing to explore, to think outside the usual, culturally constructed categories. This "brick-and-mortar" book exists as an extension of The Pathways Project (http://pathwaysproject.org), an open-access online suite of chapter-nodes, linked websites, and multimedia all dedicated to exploring and demonstrating the dynamic relationship between oral tradition and Internet technology
"It seems that Mauss's fame has grown in inverse proportion to knowledge of his actual writings. It should therefore be a matter of celebration that his occasional writings on techniques and technology have been published in English...when we look more closely at what Mauss did and did not do, his iconic status may be somewhat tarnished. But his general example still has the power to inspire, and maybe that is what counts." - JRAI "The appearance of these two essays... in English for the first time attests to the continuing interest in Marcel Mauss and the fact that re-readings of his work still provide not only fertile ground for new interpretations of the Durkheimian school in general, but also a source of inspiration for scholars approaching Mauss as a remarkably contemporary voice still speaking in many ways to current issues in sociology and anthropology." - Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute Marcel Mauss's writings on techniques and technology are at the forefront of an important anthropological and sociological research tradition, and they also highlight the theoretical and ideological challenges surrounding this field of study. A selection of Mauss's texts - including his major statements on methodology, on body techniques, on practical reason, on nation and civilisation, on progress, and so forth - are here translated and presented together for the first time, with a discussion of their context, impact and implications. This book will interest scholars and students dealing with the French sociological tradition, and also more generally those concerned with technology and material culture studies in archaeological, anthropological or contemporary settings. Nathan Schlanger coordinates the AREA project (Archives of European Archaeology) at the INHA, Paris. He has published on prehistoric archaeology, on the technological contributions of Mauss and Leroi-Gourhan, and on the history of archaeology in colonial (African) contexts.
The Background to the Institute The NATO Advanced Study Institute (ASI) 'People and Computers - Applying an Anthropocentric Approach to Integrated Production Systems and Organisations' came about after the distribution of a NATO fact sheet to BruneI University, which described the funding of ASls. The 'embryonic' director of the ASI brought this opportunity to the attention of the group of people, (some at BruneI and some from outside), who were together responsible for the teaching and management of the course in Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) in BruneI's Department of Manufacturing and Engineering Systems. This course had been conceived in 1986 and was envisaged as a vehicle for teaching manufacturing engineering students the technology of information integration through project work. While the original idea of the course had also included the organisational aspects of CIM, the human factors questions were not considered. This shortcoming was recognised and the trial run of the course in 1988 contained some lectures on 'people' issues. The course team were therefore well prepared and keen to explore the People, Organisation and Technology (POT) aspects of computer integration, as applied to industrial production. A context was proposed which would allow the inclusion of people from many different backgrounds and which would open up time and space for reflection. The proposal to organise a NATO ASI was therefore welcomed by all concerned.
The research background of this book is the rich and complex history of French sociology, characterized by rigorous intellectual inquiry and diverse theoretical perspectives that have profoundly impacted global sociology. The driving idea behind the book "Unlock the Legacy of French Sociology" is to provide a comprehensive exploration of the rich and influential history of French sociology. The book aims to detail the development of French sociological thought, examining the contributions of key figures like Émile Durkheim, Pierre Bourdieu, and others. It also seeks to highlight both well-known and lesser-known aspects of French sociological theory, as well as contemporary trends and practical applications in modern research. The ultimate goal is to offer an authoritative reference and engaging read for students, scholars, and anyone interested in understanding the legacy and ongoing impact of French sociology on global sociological thought. • The research methodology proposed in this book involves a comprehensive examination of the development of French sociology, its historical context, key figures, and contributions to sociological theory and research. • The task is to provide an authoritative reference and engaging read for students, scholars, and anyone interested in understanding French sociology's history and influence. The performance achieved is a detailed exploration of French sociological thought, which supports their goals. Methods • Examination of the historical context of French sociology; • Analysis of key figures and their contributions to sociological theory; • Exploration of lesser-known but significant aspects of French sociological thought; • Discussion of contemporary trends and practical applications in modern research. Conclusion: • The significance of this piece of work lies in its detailed exploration of the rich and influential history of French sociology and its ongoing impact on sociological thought. • Innovation point: Comprehensive examination of both well-known and lesser-known aspects of French sociological thought; • Performance: Detailed and insightful analysis of key figures and theories; • Workload: Extensive research and synthesis of historical and contemporary sociological contributions.
A witty, often terrifying that chronicles our transformation into a society that is shaped by technology—from the acclaimed author of Amusing Ourselves to Death. "A provocative book ... A tool for fighting back against the tools that run our lives." —Dallas Morning News The story of our society's transformation into a Technopoly: a society that no longer merely uses technology as a support system but instead is shaped by it—with radical consequences for the meanings of politics, art, education, intelligence, and truth.
Artificial Intelligence may be the disruptive tech to influence our lives, but in the end, it has its own species to grow, so let us not take it as something we use and leave.Ê DESCRIPTION The book enters with its first chapter providing a simple and legal backdrop of the idea behind AI Ethics and International Law, its references and some important analogies and conceptual ideas. Also, the first chapter introduces some problems and questions regarding AI for contemplation in the field of jurisprudence. The second chapter vividly focuses on the deeper aspect of Artificial Intelligence, and goes to the principled developments of pure international law, with special analysis of the conceptions of sovereignty, self_determination and human rights. The chapter explores the catchy world of design and technology and covers with the diversity of issues revolving Artificial Intelligence Ethics. The third chapter gets specific with International Law and paves on ways towards the idea of the Privacy Doctrine conceived by the author. The chapter also explores the conceptual propositions in the field of Artificial Intelligence and International Law and renders about the scope of culture as a part of the social ecosystem to affect artificial intelligence. The chapter also lays the origination of the idea of an AI as an Entity, with special examples. The fourth chapter is centric towards human rights, making the debate beyond the legal literature and pragmatizing about the corporate idea of innovation and customer experience in various tech companies and institutions. The final chapter digs deeper into the principles and realms of cosmopolitanism and globalization, giving ways to discover and embark upon the role of human empathy and understanding to solve the issues that disruptive technology renders in its canvas.Ê KEY FEATURES _ The book gives a lucid introduction to the idea of AI Ethics and its geopolitical implications.Ê _ The book is insightful for an academic understanding of AI Ethics in the concept of Legal Personality meant for every person, including professionals in the field of Law, Social Sciences and Technology Studies.Ê _ The book provides a special understanding and renders curiosity for readers to establish newer ideas and understand Artificial Intelligence from a socio_cultural scenario.Ê _ The book gives a cogent aspect of the relationship between Artificial Intelligence and International Law.Ê _ The book presents about an innovative and dimensional idea of Privacy with respect to AI in Legal Theory.Ê WHAT WILL YOU LEARN The reader will learn about artificial intelligence in the eyes of a social animal, beyond the technical aspect of it. It enables the reader to challenge the conventional understanding of artificial intelligence and gives a motivation to understand the deep connect that AI is capable to create with humans in its social, economic and cultural scenarios rendered. It also poses a sense of curiosity and humility for people to understand the legal and social role of disrupting tech whether they are in a developed country or a developing one.Ê WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR This book is based for students, academicians, educationists, professionals and policy researchers in the field of law, social sciences, management and technology to understand and get a special insight of artificial intelligence for mankind. It is also a good read for a layman audience to get into the idea of artificial intelligence ethics for their understanding and awareness.Ê Table of ContentsÊ 1. Introduction to Artificial intelligence and International law 2. The Basic Relationship: The Pragmatism 3. Legal visibility: DOCTRINE and Concept for AI 4. Beyond the Human Rights Discourse: A New Vision 5. Student Devices
The contributors address the history, originality, variety and sophistication of traditional science, technology and material culture in the Middle East and Central Asia, their influence on the history of Europe and the West, and the threat posed by modern Western technologies.
