Chapter 6: Effects of Technological Development Flashcards
Mass Production
Large scale industrial production usually involving high levels of machinery.
Consumer Society
Social inclination towards acquiring more goods and services.
Industrial Revolution
The change from a craft based to industrial society during the late 18th and early 19th century.
Obsolete
When a product is no longer useful or no longer working.
Built in Obsolescence
A deliberate policy to manufacture products with a specific life span.
Different Forms of Obsolescence
Technological, postponed, physical and style
Effects of Obsolescence
Encourages use of non-renewable and difficult to recycle materials, more energy, pollution, transport, packaging and materials are needed.
Miniaturisation
Reducing the size of products such as electrical devices by incorporating components developed to be smaller but more powerful e.g. batteries
Effects of Mass Production on Employment
Low skilled workers replace craftmanship, low wages causing uprising and poverty, poor job satisfaction.
Global Marketplace
The international exchange of goods, services and labour.
Multinational Company
A business that has assets such as manufacturing or design facilities in more than one country
Offshore Manufacturing
The relocation of a factory to another country, usually where materials and labour are cheaper.
Developing Country
A country with low levels of industrial and commercial activity and general lower incomes.
Ethical issues of offshore manufacturing and multinationals
Large scale unemployment in developed countries, exploitation of labour, low wages, no company benefits or promotions, bad working conditions.
Advantages of global manufacturing
Economic regeneration of local area through increased employment, improved living standards, enabling transfer of technology, physical regeneration of infrastructure and widening countries economic base.
Disadvantages of global manufacturing
Increased pollution and waste, destruction of environment for infrastructure, low wages as no minimum wage, promotion restrictions, no union for equal rights, low safety standards, devaluing craftmanship and community becomes dependent on multinationals.
