Technology, Culture and Development: The Experience of the Soviet Model / Edition 1

by James P. Scanlan

Overview

Although scholars have devoted much attention to the impact of technology on society, they have tended to slight the question of how technology is affected by social systems. The authors of this volume take precisely this approach in their examination of the "Soviet model" of development. The book surveys the history and current state of science and technology in the USSR and its former satellites. It then looks at the economic environment for technological innovation and examines the impact of the "energy shock" in the transitional economies of the region. Finally, it discusses the ecological devastation of the USSR and Eastern Europe, its connection with the "Soviet model" and the prospects for remediation. The central argument of the book is that the cultural and social factors and the legacy of the Soviet model will inevitable figure in the reconstruction of the East.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780873328920
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/30/1992
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Loren R. Graham, Paul R. Josephson, Susan J. Linz, Steven W. Popper, John M. Kramer, Joan DeBardeleben, Barbara Jancar-Webster

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 The Fits and Starts of Russian and Soviet Technology, Loren R. Graham; Chapter 2 Science and Technology as Panacea in Gorbachev's Russia, Paul R. Josephson; Chapter 3 Innovation Strategies in Centrally Planned and Transition Economies, Susan J. Linz; Chapter 4 Science and Technology in Eastern Europe after the Flood: Rejoining the World, Steven W. Popper; Chapter 5 Eastern Europe and the “Energy Shock” of 1990, John M. Kramer; Chapter 6 Ecology and Technology in the USSR, Joan DeBardeleben; Chapter 7 Technology and the Environment in Eastern Europe, Barbara Jancar-Webster;

Editorial Reviews

In a rare study of the influence of social factors on technological development, seven scholars from various disciplines examine the "Soviet model" used in the (now former) USSR and in the former satellites. They include considerations of the history of science and technology in the region, the economic environment, the model's impact on the current transitions, and the widespread environmental devastation that has resulted. Paper edition (unseen), $19.95. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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