Socio-Technological Aspects of Automation in Public Works Activities

1987 ◽  
Vol 19 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 633-643
Author(s):  
William F. Garber

The history of human society is replete with examples of advances in technology overrunning the ability of societal organizations to efficiently handle the resulting massive societal dislocations. The social impacts of the “Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th Centuries” illustrate how profound such effects can be. The automation-computer-robotics revolution now underway also has the potential for serious societal changes. In this regard public works activities are subject to increasing amounts of automation with impacts upon current and net total employment and training needs. To evaluate the present status of automation in the USA, questionnaires were sent to public works authorities in 110 cities or agencies. The current degree of automation, the impact upon employment and the skills now needed by public works employers were queried. It was found that in most cases automation was just starting; but that as complete automation as was possible was inevitable given the increasing complexity of the tasks, the demands of the public and the long term prospects for public works funding. In many cases the candidates now in the work force were not properly trained for automation needs. Retraining and changes in the educational system appeared necessary if the employees now needed were to be continuously available. Public works management as well as several labor organizations appeared to be aware of this need and were organizing to handle the training problem and the changes in employment qualifications now necessary. It appeared to be a consensus that the larger societal effects of automation should be handled by society as a whole.

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-148
Author(s):  
Michael W. Overton

AbstractBovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a frequent disease concern in dairy cattle and is most commonly diagnosed in young dairy heifers. The impact of BRD is highly variable, depending on the accuracy and completeness of detection, effectiveness of treatment, and on-farm culling practices. Consequences include decreased rate of weight gain, a higher culling risk either as heifers or as cows, delayed age at first service, delayed age at first calving, and in some cases, lower future milk production. In this data set of 104,100 dairy replacement heifers from across the USA, 36.6% had one or more cases diagnosed within the first 120 days of age with the highest risk of new cases occurring prior to weaning. Comparison of the raising cost for heifers with BRD and those without a recorded history of BRD resulted in an estimated cost per incident case occurring in the first 120 days of age of $252 or $282, depending upon whether anticipated future milk production differences were considered or not. Current market conditions contributed to a cost estimate that is significantly higher than previously published estimates, driven in part by the losses associated with selective culling of a subset of heifers that experienced BRD.


2021 ◽  
pp. 285-304
Author(s):  
Ivana Křížková ◽  
Meng Le Zhang ◽  
Dan Olner ◽  
Gwilym Pryce

AbstractInthischapter, we highlight the importance of social frontiers—sharp spatial divisions in the residential make-up of adjacent communities—as a potentially important form of segregation. The handful of studies estimating the impacts of social frontiers have been based in the USA and the UK, both of which are free-market democracies with a long history of immigration, ethnic mix and segregation. There are currently no studies of social frontiers in former socialist countries, for example, or in countries where immigration and ethnic mix are only a recent phenomenon or non-existent. This chapter aims to address this research gap by estimating the impacts of social frontiers on crime rates in a post-socialistcountry, Czechia. We demonstrate how a Bayesianspatial conditional autoregressive estimation can be used to detect social frontiers in this setting, and we use a fixed effect quasi-Poisson model to investigate the impact on crime. Our results suggest that in new immigration destinations, social frontiers may not be associated with higher rates of crime, at least in the short run. Moreover, our use of cultural distance measures helps to promote a more nuanced approach to studying the impact of segregation and highlights the role of cultural diversity in understanding the link between immigrant segregation and crime. We reflect on how this approach could contribute to the study of segregation and inequality in the Chinese context.


Author(s):  
Reginald M.J. Oduor

Discussions on the impact and future directions of technology often proceed from an empirical point of view that seems to presume that the ebb and flow of technological developments is beyond the control of humankind, so that all that humanity can do is adjust to it. However, such an approach easily neglects several crucial normative considerations that could enhance the standing of individual human beings and whole communities as rational users of technology rather than its slaves. Besides, more often than not, technological products are designed in ways that neglect the needs of persons with disabilities, thereby perpetuating their exclusion from society. Consequently, this article proposes four normative considerations to guide the initiatives of African societies in their deployment of the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, namely, inclusiveness to meet the needs of all human beings, affordability to bridge the digital divide, respect for cultural identity to guard against cultural imperialism, and an ethical orientation as the over-arching guide to building a truly human society.


Author(s):  
Tim S. Gray

Herbert Spencer is chiefly remembered for his classical liberalism and his evolutionary theory. His fame was considerable during the mid- to late-nineteenth century, especially in the USA, which he visited in 1882 to be lionized by New York society as the prophetic philosopher of capitalism. In Britain, however, Spencer’s reputation suffered two fatal blows towards the end of his life. First, collectivist legislation was introduced to protect citizens from the ravages of the industrial revolution, and Spencer’s spirited defence of economic laissez-faire became discredited. Second, his evolutionary theory, which was based largely on the Lamarckian principle of the inheritance of organic modifications produced by use and disuse, was superseded by Darwin’s theory of natural selection. Nearly a century after his death, however, there is renewed interest in his ideas, partly because the world has become more sympathetic to market philosophies, and partly because the application of evolutionary principles to human society has become fashionable once more.


2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 383-397
Author(s):  
Katie Day

Abstract This article serves as an introduction to faith-based community organizing and to this special issue of IJPT. First, an overview of the history of community organizing in the US includes introductions to the key figures (Saul Alinsky and Ed Chambers), organizing networks and methods currently employed. Then current challenges to community organizing are explored, such as technology, gender and race. Further, the rigid distinction between broad-based and issue organizing is challenged. Finally, the article notes that the impact of Barack Obama’s background as a community organizer on political discourse has raised the profile of this form of social mobilization, and it is reframing the questions raised for public theologians as community organizing moves into the future.


Author(s):  
Nyapati Rao ◽  
Saeed Ahmed ◽  
Dinesh Bhugra

In high-income countries, international medical graduates (IMGs) constitute 20–31% of medical work force, especially in disciplines like psychiatry. Variations in countries of origin, languages in which they studied medicine, their religious affiliations, gender, sexual orientation, and so on, all tend to play a role in the process of acculturation and adjustment after migration in spite of resilience. IMGs are often placed in subspecialties and geographical locations that are unpopular with local graduates, thereby increasing their isolation. There is evidence to suggest that they tend to work harder and yet are more likely to be reported to the regulators. High-income countries often for their short-term benefits tend to recruit medical workforce from countries that can ill afford to lose them. Using the history of medicine in the USA as an example, this chapter highlights some of the challenges and proposes ways forward. The isolation and difficulties in acculturation may well contribute to poor mental health.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 320-334
Author(s):  
Gabriela Celani

In the fields of architecture and urban design, there has always been a delay in the impact of industrial revolution technologies, and in the case of less industrialised countries, the delay has been even bigger. This article starts with a review of the history of computer-aided architectural design in Brazil and then describes the state of the field in some Latin American countries. Finally, we discuss the ‘ideal computer curriculum’ for architects in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-20
Author(s):  
Miron Wolnicki ◽  
Ryszard Piasecki

Abstract Objective: The main aim of the article is to send a message to the general public that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no different than any inventions disruptive for the mode of production discovered before. In the past, Luddites looked with fear at steam-powered industry and mechanized looms; today we look at Artificial Intelligence (AI) with equal anxiety and fear of the unknown. Methodology: We analyze the world literature on this subject and compare the main economic actors: the USA and China. We also use some historic analogies like discoveries of Thomas Edison and Nicola Tesla. Findings: AI is a ground-breaking technology which will fundamentally change human relations to the outside world. It will disrupt all known paradigms or production, medicine, shopping and, generally, the exploration of human environment, blurring the barrier between virtual and real. Value Added: The luddite-type fears are unfounded. AI will enhance the concentration power, polarize societies between winners and losers, capital and labor and enhance the gaps which were on rise with the industrial revolution. We are at the outset of another revolution which will give humans a better command of nature. The negative effects of the revolution should be addressed and resolved in the future. Recommendations: AI was created by people and can be ultimately governed by the people who set it in motion. Perhaps AI will provide answers how to control ourselves from a runaway deep or general AI. But this is a subject of another paper.


1986 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 401-420
Author(s):  
Arthur F. Glasser

Conceding that the “church growth” concept and methodology have come under fire, the author shares an insider's reflections on how the movement has fared since Donald McGavran originated it three decades ago. The history of the movement and the relation between the Institute for Church Growth and the School of World Missions at Fuller Theological Seminary are traced. Dialogue and controversy with the WCC in the sixties, and growing influence within the Lausanne movement in the seventies, are sketched. The impact and consequences of church growth for world missions and for church life in the USA are noted. Finally, in a series of “random thoughts,” Glasser appraises both the strengths and weaknesses of the church growth concept, affirms that it is being corrected and enlarged, and claims for it an enduring place in the church's evolving missionary strategy of the eighties.


Author(s):  
Bradley S. Miller ◽  
Eve G. Spratt ◽  
John H. Himes ◽  
Doreen Condon ◽  
Andrea Summer ◽  
...  

AbstractThe long-lasting impact of different neglectful environments on growth in children is not well studied. Three groups of children, 3–10 years old, were recruited (n=60): previously institutionalized international adoptees living in stable home environments for at least 2 years (IA; n=15), children with a history of neglect born in the USA (USN; n=17), and controls (n=28). Children underwent physical examination, anthropometry, and collection of serum for growth parameters. Mean height standard deviation scores (SDS) were different (p<0.05). Age-adjusted head circumference (HC) was significantly smaller (p<0.05) in IAs. Insulin growth factor (IGF-1), a marker of growth hormone action, was higher in US neglected children. IGF-1 adjusted for age and weight SDS were different (p<0.05) between control and US neglect groups. The degree of growth failure in height and HC in IAs was more severe than neglected US children. These findings may reflect differences between the impact of chronic and intermittent deprivation on the growth hormone system.


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