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Abstract

A physical collapse in the built environment is often linked to a failure in technology and yet technology is similarly viewed as a means of solving the current environmental problems. Part 1 of this chapter reviews the nature of technology and concludes technological development has a social impact that goes beyond its immediate purpose. Because of this, technologies contribute to making a society more complex by creating differences between people—those who can afford an advancement and those who cannot. Problems can be solved through technological development but this can add to social complexity by creating social differences. Energy return on investment and prefabrication are both examined in this light. Part 1 ends by considering the nature of progress and its relationship to technology.

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Correspondence to Emilio Garcia .

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Garcia, E., Vale, B., Vale, R. (2021). Technology and Collapse. In: Collapsing Gracefully: Making a Built Environment that is Fit for the Future. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77783-8_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77783-8_5

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-77782-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-77783-8

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

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