Publisher's Synopsis
Patterns of Social and Technological Change in Europe is both informative and of analytical value concerning these vital issues of European affairs. The basic idea is to draw together research which is devoted to the key questions in the relationship between the various and widely discussed new developments of technological systems and the social changes with which they are associated. - Major social and technological changes are reshaping everyday life all over Europe. Just as there are relevant differences between regions there are also various conceptions of how to study and understand what usually is called the importance of technical progress. Recent developments in particular in the political and economic systems in Eastern Europe propel new ideas and increase demands to study the inter-relations between social and technological processes. In particular, authors from all parts of Europe are covering questions such as follows: - - Social and cultural factors relating to technical progress, the role and prospects of social research, developments concerning specific professions linked to technical changes, technological standards compared with social structures, cultural identities and economic performance, female and male conceptions of technology, labour relations, developments in the labour market, social limits to technical progress and social impacts thereof, theoretical conceptions and sociological paradigms furthering analysis and understanding of structures and trends in 'technological societies,' innovative strategies in technology transfer and research and development issues. - - Papers based on research on these fields were written and presented at the 'First European Conference of Sociology' at the University of Vienna, Austria, by members of the European Research Group on 'Patterns of Social and Technological Change in Europe' August 1992.
