Blog Assignment 4

The question I chose to blog about was in chapter 5 when Nye discussed the tendencies technology plays in uniforming or diversifying society. One stakeholder Nye introduces was the example of Levittown, New York. A building company comes into Levittown and built over 17,000 homes identical to each other. Nye starts to argue that this attempt to uniform an entire community would play an intriguing role in technology. "Wouldn't such uniformity produce standardized, soulless people?" Nye states that three generations later the residences of Levittown have remodeled their homes to bring uniqueness and personality to their living quarters.

Nye also argued the fact of uniformity and diversity in technology when using the Ford company as an example. The model T Ford was the car of the 20's, but as the times progressed the model T forgot to progress as well. Henry Ford was a supporter of the assembly line and he believed the less tampering with the assembly line, the better the chance of a higher income there will be. He later found out that his belief in the assembly line would be partially incorrect and General Motors, who came out with different style cars each year, found themselves on top.

The two examples Nye used in describing the uniformity or diversity of technology were both prime factors of how the United States society progressed during the 20th century. When purchasing their homes in Levittown, the residences knew they were purchasing a home that looked identical to their neighbors. The houses were cheap, but they were uniform to what was all around them. Over time though, the people of Levittown progressed and technology could not hold them to the uniform ways of the past. In my opinion, Nye used the Ford Motor company very well in his book. The different styles of Ford and GM during the 20's and 30's shows how rival companies compete in trying to find out what the society is looking for. In this example, GM wins out because they figure out that diversity conquers uniformity in vehicles.

In my own opinion, I would choose diversity in technology because having something that is unique is more special. Nye explains how today their are over 78 different configurations of the Ford F-150. Having the choice to choose the specifications towards technology has the affect of showing Americans that they the right to choose what they want. Technology is alway progressing towards new horizons, its the fact of whether it will blend societies together, like the model T, or be distinctive, like GM models of the past.