Social Values and Technology Choice in an International Context
This Academy-organized symposium brought together more than 30 scientists, scholars and public officials, from developed and developing nations, to discuss how social values do and should influence technology choice by nations and by groups of nations.
In 1978, an Academy-organized symposium brought together more than 30 scientists, scholars and public officials, from developed and developing nations, to discuss how social values do and should influence technology choice by nations and by groups of nations. General discussion led to a direct examination of the meaning of “appropriate technology,” in concept and in practice. The study focused on the ambiguities that complicate technology choice beyond cost, efficiency and acceptability in the marketplace. The resulting collection of papers offers an assessment of the appropriate technology movement and considers its relevance for the economic circumstances, available resources, technological expertise, and social values of both advanced industrial nations and developing countries.
Resulting Publication
- Appropriate Technology and Social Values – A Critical Appraisal, eds. Franklin A. Long and Alexandra Oleson. Cambridge, MA: Ballinger Publishing Company, 1980. (out of print)