Technology and Economic Activities from 1900 to 1950 - Essay Example

Technology and Economic Activities from 1900 to 1950 Name Course Institution Date Technology and Economic Activities from 1900 to 1950 Industrial revolution sparked new inventions in the 19th century which further developed in the 20th century. Enormous changes and growth occurred; inventions were created which spread quickly. These changes resulted in unprecedented advancements in technology and industry. Improvements in major sectors of the economy such as agriculture brought positive changes to the economy. Improved agricultural techniques resulted in cotton crops increases and demand for new and sophisticated methods of changing the raw cotton in the fields into textiles were created (Dimitri, Effland, & Conklin, 2005).Technology has evolved to become one of the major drivers of the world economy. Its importance has been felt significantly in the 20th and 21st centuries. Modern communication technologies have enabled creation of electronic communications and databases enabling sharing and distribution of information across different economies to be accelerated. The effect of this is vast cost reductions and improved services. Internet and computer specifically has accelerated and helped the way businesses are done. It has become the core drivers in the economic activities of different nations. This essay will discuss how technology in the economic period between 1900 and 1950 influenced the nature and extent of economic activity during this period. In the 20th century, significant industrial, social, cultural and economic changes occurred. International trade increased in this period and it brought increased growth and prosperity and in contrast poverty rose. Architectural advances, technology increase and the spread of information characterized the whole of 20th century. From this, nations competed against each other in an attempt to outdo each other in technological advancements. Improvements in machinery were achieved through advances in metal work that led to developments in mining. The production of goods increases during this period necessitating improved shipping methods, and transportation advancements provided a need for faster and reliable communication. Technology brought many important changes to the economy between 1900 and 1950. It influenced major changes in the economy as well as increasing the pace of economic growth. Industrial revolution period particularly brought important technological advancements such as combustion engines and electricity that increased the level of economic activity. Economic activities were changed dramatically after industrial revolution period in the early 1900s. Inventions and innovations that were taking root in the early 20th century transformed many western countries to urban industrial giants from rural agricultural nations (Restivo, 2005). Technology influenced major economic activities and important developments were realized. Many of the World economies were centred on urban centres especially big cities where they were previously smaller local markets. Advent and major expansion of railroads solve this problem by making transportation across a country easier hence goods could be transported from one part to another with ease. Trading across other nations’ increases as railroads provided means in which goods were shipped from one country to another. In addition, railroads spurred the economic growth as they provided massive market in which goods were sold, for example steel used in making the railroads. Economic activity is influenced to a large extent by the infrastructure and infrastructural systems in place. Railroad is one of the infrastructural inventions that influence the economies in the early 19th century. Large tracts of land were made available for cultivation of crops meant for commercial purposes through railroads rapid expansion (Dimitri et al., 2005). Commercial agriculture expanded rapidly as more railroads were constructed raising the living standards of the people. Agricultural sector depended largely on this technological advancement for moving farm produce across different markets. Industrialization in early 19th century changed the economies from that run by highly skilled craftsmen to that of mechanized factories run by skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers. The number of semi-skilled and unskilled workers rose tremendously as factories such as Ford Company in United States open up new employment opportunities as technological advancements took centre stage. The number of skilled workers needed decreases as new technologies replaced them but unskilled and semi-skilled workers were in need to work in these factories. Wages slowly increased but longer hours of working became the norm. Changes in living and social conditions of persons are affected either positively or negatively by the economic performance. Rapid economic growth improved living standards through creation of more employment opportunities and production of more goods and services is achieved. Technology is inherent in improving the standards of living as they make work easier as well as the increasing efficiency in production of goods and services. Technology led to industrialization in the first half of 20th century resulting in population increase (Mokyr, 2000). Urbanization spiral up as people search for employment in urban areas. People migrated in large numbers to the cities where there were many job opportunities. New ways of conducting business emerged as effective and efficient technological advancements led to increase job opportunities. Factories and industries were slowly established with technological inventions brought from the industrial revolution period spurred their development. Workers were thus needed to work in these industries. Industrial centres emerged as people settled near industries where they were working. Slowly, urban centres cropped up which became the economic centres. Economic activities increased immensely out of the various technological innovations that were used in 1900 to 1950. Prosperous industrialists, ship merchants and owners dominated in this period accumulating great vast of wealth and working class individuals lived in overcrowded environments at the same time. Technological changes meant that children were ill-treated and exploited in factories where they were taken to work. Women on the other hand experienced lifestyle changes as they abandoned agricultural workforce and spend lesser time at family home as they seek and got jobs in textile and domestic service industries. The result was increased output in the economy as more women get involved in the economic activities. As technology was influencing major economic activities, political unrest was experienced as urbanization and industrialization established need for political and social changes (Montagna, 2006). Increased demands for improved labour rights, social welfare, education, equality and political rights were brought by industrialization. Industrial strikes increased in this period as workers demanded better working conditions and wages. They were mostly not given safety attires for working with machines. Compensations were in form of meagre payments precipitating formation of industrial trade unions who demanded better deals for their union members. Accidents in factories were not unique as workers were not trained properly on how to handle the machines. Furthermore, lack of safety devices in handling the factory machines complicated the situation further. These accidents hurt the economy in a negative way as they reduced the number of workforce and at the same time strained the health sector. The growth of economies and technological influence in 1900s is much connected to the industrial revolution period which brought many of the technological advancements used in this period. Industrial revolution occurred in late 18th century up to early 19th century (1760-1850) (Montagna, 2006). Industrial revolution period saw many fundamental changes realized in metal and textile manufacture, agriculture, economic policies and transportation sectors. Industrial revolution started in England and spread across Europe to United States and Latin America. It was promoted by many conditions such as industrial organization changes and new technology which resulted in increased foreign and domestic commerce, production increased together with efficiency and profits. Furthermore, agricultural techniques advances led to food supply and raw materials increases. All these conditions were interrelated in that when one activity increases, it stimulated activity of another. Agricultural changes were prominent in the industrial period. This was because of its importance to the population and also as an indispensable source of textile industry. Agricultural advances in this period included sturdier farm implements use made from metal. It was now possible for all the people at industrial centres to be fed working as factory workers. Through provision of enough food, economic expansion and industry was inevitable. Coal mining before industrial revolution involved dangerous practices and it was accomplished by use of animals and men muscle powers as there were no machines. The process was thus slow but improvements in coal mining were achieved during the industrial revolution period. Improved surface and underground transportation, improved tunnel ventilation and illumination through safety lamps use and blasting away of coal seams by using gun powder are some of the improvements in coal mining (Montagna, 2005). Economy was therefore spurred by these improved technological methods in early 1900s. Improvements in transport sector such as construction of rails and iron industry brought significant changes to the economy. Industrial Revolution inventions further developed in the 20th century which increases productivity, improvement in flow of information and reduction in labour requirements (Steil, Victor, & Nelson, 2002). Rapid technological changes in the twentieth century led to rapid growth in economic activities which increased the world population. These populations used more coal that was produced by advanced technologies from the industrial Revolution era. Oil production increased to generate electricity as well as feeding internal combustion engines which had replaced steam engines. The burning of the fossil fuels affected the quality of air and many people died from air pollution effects. World’s total gross domestic income doubled between 1913 and 1950 and output rose by fifty percent (Van & Lewer, 2007). Technological changes to the oil production and coal industries ensured more energy was produced which subsequently increased efficiency. People were now using better equipment in their works reducing wastage and ensuring effective and efficient use of the available resources. Economic activities increased immensely pushing the gross domestic product and output up. Important innovations and inventions of late 19th century such as electricity introduction in the 1880s brought significant changes to people’s lives and economy in the first half of the 20th century. Businesses changed drastically and organizations shifted to plant layouts altered by electricity and work organization (Steil et al., 2002). Electricity led to construction of expansive single-storey buildings which resulted in more efficient workflows. It heightened workforce production capacity through expanded working hours into the evening. Urban centres cultures were also changed by expansion of evening activities such as dance halls, variety shows and theatres (Restivo, 2005). Automobile industry also benefited from electricity invention. Internal combustion engines with pneumatic tires reduced the transportation cost for both goods and people. Significant changes in land use patterns, economic patterns and environment was achieved by the 1910s through assembly line as a mode of production. The assembly line enabled streamlined production process by bringing together mechanical and human elements necessary in turning into finished product separate manufactured components parts. Products moved to several workstations while workers stay at their workstations through this technique. Reorganization of production process in this manner resulted in higher productivity, lower costs and highly standardized product. Trains which were developed first in early nineteenth century were powered by steam engine and it opened up new places for economic development and increased the mobility of people between population centres (Restivo, 2005). Trains together with telegraph accelerated information, resources and people’s rate of movement making the world more connected. Moreover, these technologies led to commodity chains creation that linked resources to consumers and they also reinforced cities as places for trade and natural resources processing. People started enjoying greater mobility hence enabling greater flexibility in them enabling them to choose where they want to work and live. Economic activities expanded rapidly as labour was now being exported to different locations with ease. Ease of mobility meant that efficiency was acquired as people are able to reach their places of work faster and attend to the urgent matters. High quality steel was manufactured through the existing technologies which resulted in better machines. Building techniques improved enabling building of skyscrapers. Architecture in interior steel frame allowed more office space and more diversified stressing the significance of urban areas as economic decision making and information processing centre-points. Mass production growth was realised between 1900 and 1950. Long production lines were achieved due to improved manufacturing machinery, efficient factory layouts which eventually led to continuous flow processing. The stationary workers received building materials from the conveyor belts creating greater efficiency. Workers’ activities were regimented more carefully and plant fixed costs was spread with other overheads leading to decrease in costs. The production increases as costs was now not a factor hindering the production process consequently leading to mass production of goods. This era of economic activity was much characterised by overproduction and much of it goes wasteful. Consumption rates of the people decrease even though populations were rising rapidly. Agricultural technological advancements also played a part in the mass production of goods. Agricultural technological developments played a crucial role in bringing positive changes to the farm sector. Shortly after World War II, advances in mechanization and chemical inputs availability resulted in economies of scale which in turn spurred average farm size rapid growth (Dimitri et al., 2005). In 1900, animal power was mostly relied upon by farmers but mechanization sets in which they replaced them. Inexpensive chemical pesticides and fertilizers rapid development from 1945 led to higher yields and quality as a result of advances in animal and plant breeding in the period. Through these advancements in technology, the agricultural productivity saw increased growth in 1948 (Restivo, 2005). However, before increased productivity was gained in 1948, world market prices had previously dropped in 1920s due to overproduction aided by technologies. Farmers in the United States pushed for tariff protection increment which led to Smooth-Hawley tariffs passage in 1930 (Dimitri et al., 2005). Escalation of tariffs was simultaneously done in other parts of the world leading to world trade plunging and United States agricultural exports fell as much as 20 percent in the 1930s. Metal fabrication and machinery industries flourished as a result of technology advance in this period. Manufactured products proliferation in England fuelled machinery demand for making them. Metalworking innovations saw rise in specialised class of talented and skilled machinists who established their status as important because of the machinery specialized nature. The metal industry grew in clusters and facilities and firms were majorly located to their major customers. Industrialization therefore led to wealth concentration for those who helped managed or owned production means but economic oppression and poverty to those who sold their labour power. United States in early 20th century emerged as technology net exporter and General Electric Company became producers’ consumers’ durables and also as a pinnacle of technological development and research. The industrialized west viewed standardization, efficiency and modernity ideas as social goods by early twentieth century (Restivo, 2005). Technologies such as time clocks meant for tracking workers punctuality and its absence originated from the new standardized values. Fredrick Taylor pioneered the practice of timing the length of time it took workers to finish a given work for rationalization and increasing productivity. Contemporary information technology began in early 20th century. Typewriter invention in 1860s and 70s and its diffusion in early 1900 enabled greater information volumes to be generated easily. Financial industries expansion especially insurance and banking was realised as a result of easy generation of information. Communications advances in form of telephone and electronic telegraph in early 19th century complemented transportation innovations such as railroads in influencing positive changes to the economic activities. Information flows were facilitated by these two technological innovations between as well as within national markets and it also helped market demand and supply mechanisms. Company internationalization characterized the period between1900 and1945. Companies replace countries as centres for cultural and economic changes. They were aided by technological inventions of the late 18th century such as electricity. International trade started blossoming as more companies were created especially in United States and Europe. However, international trade was curtailed by the World Wars of 1914-1918 (first) and the second of 1939 with the Great Depression of 1929 and 1930s until after the end of Second World War. Nevertheless, this was a period of technological change. There was an increased use of aircraft both for industrial and personal use provided an additional means by which companies can serve foreign markets (Steil et al., 2002). Automobile industry also transformed industrial and personal transportation. Technology influenced many sectors of economy and how economic activities were conducted in the first half of 19th century. Technological improvements and scientific innovations in 1900 to 1950 contributed to agricultural, industrial, trade and shipping advancements and economic expansion (Mokyr, 2000). Capital increase and need for credit led to expansion of banking sector. Technology brought a class of merchants, shipbuilders and industrialists who established banks and they issued paper money primarily for provision of payment for raw materials purchase and labour payment. The economic period from1900 to 1950 was influenced in a big way by technology. Electricity, combustion engines, railroads and telephone increases the economic activities by easing the means in which businesses were conducted. Railroads helped farmers in transporting their produce to the market, electricity helped people to conduct economic activities until late in the evening and into the night time. Telephone invention provided a way in which orders could be placed without physical presence of the customer. It decreases the costs of doing business during this period. Technology played an important role in influencing the nature of economic activities during the economic period from 1900 to 1950. References Dimitri, C., Effland, A. B., & Conklin, N. C. (2005). The 20th century transformation of US agriculture and farm policy. United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Information Bulletin Number 3 Mokyr, J. (2000). Knowledge, technology, and economic growth during the industrial revolution. In Productivity, technology and economic growth pp. 253-292. Springer US. Montagna J.A (2006) The Industrial Revolution [Online] Available at: http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1981/2/81.02.06.x.html (Accessed April 19, 2014) Restivo, S. (Eds.). (2005). Science, technology, and society. Oxford [u.a.: Oxford Univ. Press. Steil, B., Victor, D. G., & Nelson, R. R. (Eds.). (2002). Technological innovation and economic performance. Princeton University Press. Van, B. H., & Lewer, J. J. (2007). International trade and economic growth. Armonk, New York: M.E. Sharpe. Read More