Assignment:
Please respond to this thread by writing an essay of at least 300 words that addresses each item in one of the following question sets. Note which question you are answering in your post:
1. Lynda Shaffer's article is a 'revisionist' work. Having read this work, define revisionism. Provide examples from "Southernization" to show how her work challenged your view (or the dominant view as you understand it) of human history.
2. Is the History of Technology addressed thoroughly enough in teaching history as a whole? Is it addressed incorrectly? For example, should technology be seen as something that determines the course of a particular society, or is the development of a civilization and its values more complex than this?
3. Compare Leo Marx's and Jared Diamond's perspectives on progress. Which is more persuasive and why?
4. The underlying assumption for many modern people is that technology = progress. Is this true? What does progress mean? What are some of the many ways people define progress?
5. This class is entitled "Technological Transformations," and the focus is on progress as a product of technology. Drawing on this week's readings as an introduction to the topic, discuss what you expect to learn in this class. What is the importance of Aristotle, Archimedes, and the concept of southernization to the big picture?
Your Initial Post is expected to be a 300 word prose essay, with a thesis statement and 2 to 5 paragraphs supporting and explaining the thesis. Remember to base your response on information and analysis from the readings. Cite the information and analysis you provide.
Explain what you learned in your own words, and do your best to synthesize the authors' analyses into your own original analysis; do not rely exclusively on quotations from the readings to make your points. Please change the title of your post to something unique. Note which question you have chosen to answer.