Microhistories of Technology: Making the World (excerpt)

Abstract

Microhistories of Technology: Making the World presents a multifaceted global history of technology and material culture, viewed through the lens of diversity. The microhistories presented in this book demonstrate that the spread of modern technology did not lead to the elimination of artisanal tools and production methods. Rather, the new often fruitfully coexisted with the old. The cultural encounters between the old and the new resulted in countless innovative solutions, many of which have remained unreported in the history of technology. By shedding light on the material culture of ordinary people across the globe—in Africa, Asia, and Latin America—Microhistories of Technology reveals how inventive individuals and groups shaped their own lives. Each chapter demonstrates how the persistent application of traditional, homemade, or hybrid technologies helped people maintain autonomy in a “globalized” world. The Journal of Economic Sociology publishes the introduction to the book “Sharpening Local Techniques in a Global Context,” in which Professor M.Heard reveals his understanding of the technology, discusses the research design, and defines the structure of the book.