I am sitting on my balcony looking over richmond whilst reading Galloway’s thoughts and opinions on Technology and Culture. After finishing the extract I was unsurprisingly left unclear as to what exactly it was he was trying to explain to the us. What I can explain clearly is the way in which the two terms “Culture” and “Technology” have evolved over the past few centuries:

Technology

Greek Meanings:

tekhne – meant arts or crafts

logos – meaning word or system or study

1700’s – The word was barely used and only sparingly applied to the study of the arts

1860’s – The meaning began to evolve, it coincided with the ‘industrial evolution’ to shift to meanings such as the system of mechanical and industrial arts

1995 – Lorenzo Simpson defined technology as ‘that constellation of knowledge , processes, skills and products whose aim i to control and transform

2000’s – The meaning has changed even further now to encompass an overarching system that we inhabit, i.e. we now live in technology, surrounded by it.

Culture

Latin Meaning:

cultura – meaning cultivation

1400’s – The word emerged from the French use in the agricultural process of tillage.

1500’s – The word transferred to a metaphorical agriculture of the mind or body.

1800’s – The meaning of culture became almost entirely intellectually based, It referred to the artistic side of a civilisation

1996 – Brian Eno defines culture tactfully and simply as ‘everything we do not have to do’ (Galloway seemingly favours this definition as it is still broad enough to encompass all the alterations the word has passed through over the centuries whilst still being open enough to adapt to new situations)

‘Technology’ clashes with tradition in Cuzco, Peru.

Personally I found the reading overly stretched out like a game of thrones episode, however that is most likely just my cynical nature protruding wherever it can… Personally, I find myself agreeing with both, Tim in his post, as well as Lorenzo Simpson, that Technology involves PROCESS that aims directly at CONTROLLING and/or TRANSFORMING the way we apply techniques.