Engineering the future, understanding the past : a social history of technology /
Erik van der Vleuten, Ruth Oldenziel, Mila Davids ; with contributions by Harry Lintsen.
- Amsterdam : Amsterdam University Press, (c)2017.
- 1 online resource : illustrations.
Includes bibliographies and index.
Cover; Contents; Preface; Introduction: Engineering for a Changing World; Lessons from engineering history: Society, Enterprise, Users; Technology: Dream and nightmare; Engineering for a changing world; The structure of this book; 1. The Age of Promise, 1815-1914; 1.1 Introduction; 1.2 Society; Promises to Society: Peace and progress for all; The national promise: The infrastructure state and civil engineers; The urban promise: The Urban Machine; The global promise: International machinery and the civilizing mission; 1.3 Enterprise; Technology's promise to enterprise The inventor-entrepreneurTechnology and the opportunity-seeking entrepreneur; Strategies for business organization; 1.4 Users; Technology's promises to users: "Power to you"; Innovative user-consumers: The telephone and the railway; The bicycle and the car; User-activists; User-tinkerers; 1.5 Engineers; Technology's promise to engineering; Engineering education; Engineers and social engagement; 2. The Age of Crisis, 1914-1945; 2.1 Introduction; 2.2 Society; Peace and war; Prosperity and decline; Liberty and enslavement; Civilization and barbarism; 2.3 Enterprise; Business and bankruptcy Patent warsWorker nightmares; 2.4 Users; Access and accidents; Users and misusers; 2.5 Engineers; Hero and villain; Engineers in totalitarian regimes; A new hope; 3. The Age of Technocracy, 1945-1970; 3.1 Introduction; 3.2 Society; Making technology non-political: The linear model of innovation; Making politics technical: A systems approach to societal challenges; 3.3 Enterprise; The heyday of R The linear model in practice: organizational challenges; Systems approaches in business planning; 3.4 Users; Consumer appliances in the age of "projected users" Projected users in the built environmentUsers and the systems approach: the car-centered city; 3.5 Engineers; Growth in influence and numbers; Theory and science; Professional independence and ethical codes; The tide turns; 4. The Age of Participation, 1970-2015; 4.1 Introduction; 4.2 Society; Opening up the system; Participation by protest; Participation by mediation; Participation by delegation; 4.3 Enterprise; Flipping the linear model of innovation; Commercializing research and open innovation; User-centered innovation; Corporations under social pressure; 4.4 Users Energetic user-tinkerersMobility and "biketivists"; Hacktivists and other users; 4.5 Engineers; Opening up institutions; Opening up engineering curricula; Participation: Science shops and the valorization of knowledge; Epilogue: Engineering the Future; Different societal challenges; Challenges to enterprise and users; Beyond technocracy and participation; Notes; References; Illustration credits; Index; List of figures; Internet Freedom and Cyber Security; Cheering for the Railway; The Railway: A "Civilizing" Technology?; Founding a Fortune-in Chemicals; Scientific Management at Work