Technology and Technical Knowledge in the Great Divergence

Read this article on the debate surrounding the "Great Divergence". It takes a critical look at the traditional assumptions on why Europe seemed to lead the way in industrialization.

Abstracts

In the search for reasons why industrialization first emerged in Europe and not in other world regions, technology is often referred to as a crucial factor. However, related cross-cultural comparisons still often focus on spectacular inventions and quantifiable performance alone and thus perpetuate Eurocentric categories. The present essay critically discusses this tendency of research. With regard to the issue of technical knowledge, it is proposed to investigate the multitude of aspects of expertise relevant for the realization of technology in any given world region rather than to pursue the traditional focus of the application of "science" to technical problems.

Source: Marcus Popplow, https://journals.openedition.org/artefact/485?lang=en
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