CHAPTER IV

Technology and the Evolution of the Human Society

Objectives
At the end of the topic, the students/readers are expected to:
1.) Describe how human society has evolved through time.
2.) Classify the various technologies.
3.) Explain how technologies can be replaced and passed on from individual to individual.
4.) Explain how science and technology serve as keys in the economic development of the country.

KEY CONCEPTS

Technology – the application of scientific knowledge to solve a problem.

Evolution of Human Society
1.) Hunters and gatherers
2.) Shifters and farmers
3.) Manufacturing and processing
4.) Future man-made world
Classification of society based on concept of waves (Alvin Toffler) – first, second, and third wave.
Classification of technology according to process
1.) Energy technology
2.) Equipment technology
3.) Information technology
4.) Life technology
5.) Material technology
Technology Substitution – replacement of technologies.
Technology Diffusion technology transfer from one individual to another.

Evolution of Human Society

The society has undergone evolutionary changes brought about by the development of different
technologies. The following are the evolution of human society:

1.) Hunters and Gatherers

The most primitive of all societies whose members depends on the resources available in nature. They
used tools which they made themselves such as stones, wood, bone and ivory.

2.) Shifters and Farmers

After they learned how to tame animals and grow crops, people became shifters and farmers. This shift of
human society became the marked in the beginning of agricultural society. They also learned the process of
mining using metallic hand tools.

3.) Manufacturing and Processing

When people discovered coal, gas and oil which they used in cooking, people begun manufacturing the
materials they use which opened the door for industrialization.

4.) Future man-made world

The last stage of human society where people uses technology for recycling resources and for producing
synthetic food to satisfy increasing human needs and increasing human population.

Classification of Society According to Alvin Toffler

Alvin Toffler is an American writer and futurologist who focused his writing on technology expansion and
its impact on the society which he called information overload (Zakaria, 2001). In his book entitled “Third Wave”,
he classified societies based on the concepts of waves where each wave propels the older societies and cultures
aside.

The First Wave – is the society that replaces hunters and gatherers after the agrarian revolution where people
during this time used small technologies through trial and error.

The Second Wave – occurs where society is on the industrial revolution until World War II. They used
technologies based on mass production, consumption, distribution, and weapons of mass destruction combined
with standardization, centralization, and synchronization. Their foundations came from Newton’s physics,
biology, and chemistry.

The Third Wave – was described as the post-industrialized society after the World War II where people used
modern technologies based on the advent of science including computers, robotics and the like. Associated with
scientific-technological evolution (King, 1994; New Scientist. 1980).

Classification of Technology According to Process

1.) Energy Technology

This involve processes that create or generate, convert and distribute energy with the main purpose of
yielding high efficiency without causing negative effects to human and environment. Examples: oil, wind
water, geothermal, hydroelectric, nuclear fusion, and solar energy.

2.) Equipment Technology

This involves the design, fabrication, and invention of instruments, tools, gadgets, and machines.
Examples: motor, engines, plow, mills, spinning wheels, robots, fermenters, and computer-controlled
machines.

3.) Information Technology

Technology primarily concerned with the tools and gadgets including computer systems and their
application to manage, process and distribute information. Examples: typewriter, books, newspapers,
television, cellphones, radio, and laser.

4.) Life Technology

This type of technology is to make technological advances that benefit human race in terms of health and
food security. Primarily for preservation, maintenance, treatment and reproduction of living things and
these include animal breeding, herbal medicines, surgery, vaccine, antibiotics, artificial and organ
transplant, and genetic engineering.

5.) Materials Technology

Technology concerned with the extraction, fabrication, and synthesis of materials specifically for the
benefit of mankind. Examples: steel, plastics, brass, iron, copper, ceramics, aluminums, polymers and
synthetics.

Technologies keep on changing and these changes are through (Schilling. 2009)

Substitution
It happens when technologies which may have been used for a long period of time are replace by the new
and better version especially with the respect to the performance. Technological substitutions such as stereo type
radio to cassette tape recorder, then with component. Video Home System (VHS) to Digital Versatile Disc (DVD)
and another example is the telephones to cellular phones which is gradually replaced by more sophisticated
ones.
Diffusion
It happens when technologies are being adopted by individuals even after innovations come. The more
individuals even after innovations come. The more being adopted to the technology innovation, the greater the
measure of diffusion process and it could affect diffusion of technology in such a way that adaptation increases if
the technology is just within the reach of the individual.

National Development through Science and Technology

S&T are instruments of a country’s rapid development, economic stability and a nation’s success depends
on the strict implementation of programs based on S&T. Nations that do not invest much in S&T would not
prosper and remain underdeveloped and left behind that would lead to unsustainable lives of its people and may
have to solely depend on other nations for their basic requirements (Chetty, 2012).

Life has become easier with discovery of tools and gadgets and each sector of society has benefited mush
on S&T. Transportation for example, has been modernized and can take man even faster to its destination.
Communication has been made easier with the development of several brands of cell phones which can open
communication among loved ones even from afar. In the field of medicine, infrastructure. Electricity, and
industry have equipment to be used for modern day people.

Developed countries such as Russia, Japan, Brazil, China and India have a strong foundation of S&T
(Sunami et al., 2013). World Bank estimated that 7 out of 10 largest economies of the world by 2020 would be in
Asia, China, Japan, India, Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea, and Taiwan. At first, these countries have little
advancement or no advancement at all in S&T but when it was introduced, a boom was evident across the globe.

Life has become easier and better through S&T especially when it comes to medical development and
aside from this, a lift in education, communication, agriculture, industry, etc. has contributed much in the
elevated economic output in the 20th century. But despite the advent of technologies, problems on hunger,
pollution,
poverty and illiteracy still prevail.

Test Your Knowledge

1.) Explain how human society has evolved through time.

2.) Describe how the changes in technology happen.

3.) Why do we have to replace old technologies with new ones?

4.) Give at least 3 examples for each technology
a. Energy
b. Equipment
c. Information
d. Life
e. Material