{"product_id":"of-bicycles-bakelites-and-bulbs-book-wiebe-e-bijker-9780262522274","title":"Of Bicycles, Bakelites, and Bulbs","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis book crystallizes and extends the important work Wiebe Bijker has done in the last decade to found a full-scale theory of sociotechnical change that describes where technologies come from and how societies deal with them. \u003ci\u003eOf Bicycles, Bakelites, and Bulbs\u003c\/i\u003e integrates detailed case studies with theoretical generalizations and political analyses to offer a fully rounded treatment both of the relations between technology and society and of the issues involved in sociotechnical change.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe stories of the the safety bicycle, the first truly synthetic plastic, and the fluorescent light bulb--each a fascinating case study in itself--reflect a cross section of time periods, engineering and scientific disciplines, and economic, social, and political cultures. The bicycle story explores such issues as the role of changing gender relationships in shaping a technology; the Bakelite story examines the ways in which social factors intrude even in cases of seemingly pure chemistry and entrepreneurship; and the fluorescent bulb story offers insights into the ways in which political and economic relationships can affect the form of a technology.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBijker's method is to use these case studies to suggest theoretical concepts that serve as building blocks in a more and more inclusive theory, which is then tested against further case studies. His main concern is to create a basis for science, technology, and social change that uncovers the social roots of technology, making it amenable to democratic politics.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49577176170769,"sku":"GOR011237987","price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ LIKE_NEW \/ SBYB","offer_id":50347513708817,"sku":"CIN0262522276LN","price":8.03,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50554723008785,"sku":"GOR002358407","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53453554057489,"sku":"GOR014929123","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0262522276.jpg?v=1751133250","url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/products\/of-bicycles-bakelites-and-bulbs-book-wiebe-e-bijker-9780262522274","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}