From Rio to Rio with Kyoto, Copenhagen and Durban in between, the conclusion remains the same: we fundamentally disagree on realities of this planet and the ways we can address them. A decisive breakthrough would necessitate both wider contexts and a larger participatory base so as to identify problems, formulate policies, and broaden and…

Everyone is living in a time in which science and technology have become pervasive and have caused the world of "nature" to be removed from one's direct senses. The rhythms of the world are beat to the cycle of machines rather than the circling of the sun. One feels the distance between old rituals grounded in myth and nature and the new and…

This article articulates the groundwork for a new understanding of the concept of technique through a critical engagement with Herbert Marcuse's critical theory of technology. To this end, it identifies and engages three expressions of technique in Marcuse's work: mimesis, reified labor, and the happy consciousness. It is argued that this mapping…

A non-anthropocentric view of humankind's relationship with nature is addressed in these essays which are a part of an ongoing series of working papers on technology. The first essay, "Extremist Conceptions of Man and Nature" by Eric Katz critiques three popular philosophies regarding nature and the environment that are believed to be…

Indicates the principles of Stockholm Declaration (developed at United Nations Conference on Human Environment) are still valid today, providing a basic code of environmental conduct for years to come. Cites several environmental concerns, suggesting an urgent need to intensify efforts, at all levels, to protect and improve the environment.…

The article explores how four different theories have been used to investigate technology. It highlights the worth and limitations of each theory and argues that an eclectic, ever-evolving approach to the study of technology is warranted. (Contains 1 table.)

In this essay, Clayton Pierce examines the epistemological standpoints of Intelligent Design (ID) and evolutionary science education, focusing specifically on the pedagogical question of how ID and modern science-based education fail to promote democratic relations in how students learn, think, and associate with science and technology in society.…

This article, which is speculative in outlook and emerges from an extended literature review on this subject, takes as its basic premise the notion that the idea of "creativity"--whether in relation to literacy, schooling or the economy, is constructed as a series of rhetorical claims. These rhetorics of creativity emerge from the contexts of…

This paper presents a brief survey of several contemporary macro-issues in human work organizations as context for--and part of the work of--scientists-practitioners in organizational communication. A special attempt has been made to identify concerns or issues--called "TransIssues" for the purposes of this paper--that appear to cut across two…

The author notes that there is nothing intrinsically wrong with the importation of technology but that development based on such a policy should take cognizance of at least the following two fundamental questions: (1) What kind of technology? and (2) What is the purpose for which a piece of technology is being imported? (Author/CT)

In the field of library and information science, also known as information studies, critical theory is often not included in debates about the discipline's theoretical foundations. This paper argues that the critical theory of Herbert Marcuse, in particular, has a significant contribution to make to the field of information studies. Marcuse's…

Issues of the state of the economy, fuel consumption, environmental protection, interdependence, and global competition are relevant to technology education and must be addressed to shape the economic and technological future of the United States. (SK)

A Task Force created in 1989 was asked to provide the Carnegie Commission on Science, Technology, and Government with a brief statement outlining both functional needs in environment and energy and institutional forms to enhance the government's capability to address the emergent issues. One key need the Task Force has identified is for a greater…

Argues that Catholic schools need to consider what makes a school Catholic when confronting issues of architectural design. Addresses differences in needs between elementary, middle, and high schools, and offers a case study that illustrates a successfully designed urban Catholic high school. (NB)

The focus of this article is to examine the relationship between the workplace and business. In doing so, the concept of profitability will be considered first followed by an examination of three concerns in reducing expenses: geography, technical efficiency, and people. (CT)