The intrusion of new technologies into the life-world lies at the Essay

The intrusion of new technologies into the life-world lies at the heart of the story about 20th century modernity - Essay Example For the modern geographer, the nature of time and space, the relationship between technological innovation and social space, the implications of the modern condition in the construction of subjectivity in the context of the technological advancements especially the impact of industrialization and the spread of manufacturing houses in the twentieth century, become essential studies. Use of technology has provided a choice, to act responsibly given the type of tool in hand or, to reject; to choose selectively and communally and to make a conscious choice of weeding out the superfluous and bettering what is perceived to be good (Robinson, 2001). This dissertation shall analyze the advent and progress of industrialization, concept of factories as the spatial basis of modernity, its impact on the society its, especially in relation to the concepts of time and space, and the economic implications, through various perspectives of modern philosophers and geographers like, Max Weber, David Ny e, Michel Foucault, Georg Simmel, Marshall Berman, Henri Lefebvre, to name a few. In the process, it is attempted to study the relevance of their observations, their limitations, drawing attention to their future connotations for the future. The Industrial Revolution: The term 'technology' was born in 1828 and spread with the railroads. The very first of such technologies is the rise of the telegraph system, which allowed important news to be transmitted across the country with rapid speed, and more pointedly the stock quotes, that aided the stock market bloom. Then, the railroad system, that allowed goods and people, to travel around anywhere at a faster pace. The importance of the railways was not only its speed and automation, but that it gave its riders freedom. Nye (1994) has wondered "What better way to measure oneself against nature than through the great works of manufacturing and engineering" Even more speed was achieved with the advent of the petroleum system, which with the use of pipes and railroads, was utilized move products and people. Then the telephone system that allowed people to interact with each other over long distances. This was closely followed by the advent of the electric system, which was deve loped by Thomas Edison, with the aid of Michael Faraday's electric generator. When Edison invented the light bulb, he founded the Edison Electric Illuminating Company of New York. Very rapidly, almost within months, the world was witnessing a great transformation. Consequently, the United States of America and the European nations were being transformed from agricultural societies to those that were industrially dependant societies. Many farmers and other people were giving up the rural life and moving to urban and city areas to find jobs in factories. The Rise of the Factory: The history of technological revolutions in the past two centuries may be said to have started with the Industrial Revolution of 1760-1830, which witnessed the "rise of the factory." (Mokyr, 2001) Actually, there have been numerous precedents for large-scale enterprise and for people working in large plants