Wiring Prometheus: Globalisation, History & Technology

As the 20th century drew to a close, the trend to globalisation became the focus of vigorous debate across the economic and political spectrum. It fascinated businessmen, intoxicated stock markets, angered trade unions, confused politicians and divided academic commentators. Everybody agreed, however, that one key element of the process of globalisation was the role played by new technology. Clearly, technological change has driven globalisation forward, but is it new? Does the evolution of ‘globalised technology’ have earlier, historical origins? Putting the transfer of technology between nations into historical context, this book considers the degree to which global technologies have made national institutions and traditions of technology redundant. We know that globalisation erodes national cultural values and even the sovereignty of nation states; does it also lead to standardised global technology? Bringing together a cross-disciplinary gathering of scholars from both sides of the Atlantic, this book addresses these questions within a broad historical framework.