Abstract
It appears that the power and versatility of technology are the source of much of our technological optimism. This optimism was based primarily on the notion that technology held the key to economic prosperity. The manifestation of this optimism was seen in concrete benefits to segments of North American society: Improved clothing, housing, health care, communications, and so on. Technology became the focus of public homage.
Hephaestus, the Greek god of fire and metalworking, had a pronounced limp. Entrusted with the development and maintenance of many key technologies, Hephaestus was responsible for keeping society running smoothly and perfectly. Yet he was, ironically, the only imperfect member of the pantheon of classical gods…. As in Hephaestus himself, the power and versatility of technology are often marred by crippling defects. (Norman, 1981, pp. 15–16)
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© 1989 Plenum Press, New York
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Fleming, R. (1989). Technological Literacy: Implications for Instruction. In: Leong, C.K., Randhawa, B.S. (eds) Understanding Literacy and Cognition. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5748-3_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5748-3_14
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