Springer Technology and Globalisation: Networks of Experts in World History (Palgrave Studies in Economic History)

This book examines the role of experts and expertise in the dynamics of globalisation since the mid-nineteenth century. It shows how engineers, scientists and other experts have acted as globalising agents, providing many of the materials and institutional means for world economic and technical integration. Focusing on the study of international connections, Technology and Globalisation illustrates how expert practices have shaped the political economies of interacting countries, entire regions and the world economy. This title brings together a range of approaches and topics across different regions, transcending nationally-bounded historical narratives. Each chapter deals with a particular topic that places expert networks at the centre of the history of globalisation. The contributors concentrate on central themes including intellectual property rights, technology transfer, tropical science, energy production, large technological projects, technical standards and colonial infrastructures. Many also consider methodological, theoretical and conceptual issues. Review “This rich collection of essays opens up a new perspective on the globalisation of knowledge in history. It highlights networks of scientific and technical experts, which contributed to global developments from the time of the Second Industrial Revolution to the end of the Cold War era. The essays cover a breath-taking scope of topics and have been written by leading experts in their fields. The editors are to be congratulated for bringing together this highly informative volume.” (Jürgen Renn, Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin, Germany) “This is an important book, which fruitfully engineers a complex set of productive conversations. Methodologically, it approaches global history by bringing economic history together with the history of science and technology. Content wise, it emphasises the tension-filled and heterogeneous character of globalisation by focusing on a geographically extensive set of technologically mediated projects carried out by engineers and other experts. True to life, not all of these projects succeeded, but their stories work together to reveal the dynamics that continue to inform global developments today.” (Lissa Roberts, University of Twente, the Netherlands) “This book situates the history of science and technology firmly in the history of modern globalisation. This wide-ranging collection of essays―written by leading scholars from ten countries―explores the myriad ways in which networks of technical experts have served as agents of globalisation. They shed new light on the “backstage” of technical knowledge and practice which, in many cases, made globalisation possible.” (Stuart McCook, University of Guelph, Canada) “This book edited by Pretel and Camprubí puts together clever and insightful essays on the transnational and international networks of experts that shaped the global diffusion and adaptation of technology in the modern world. Specific cases, revealing the nuances and contradictions of a complex process, are woven into a rich theoretical framework that throws a new light on the lineages of global capitalism.” (Juan Pan-Montojo, Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain) From the Back Cover This book examines the role of experts and expertise in the dynamics of globalisation since the mid-nineteenth century. It shows how engineers, scientists and other experts have acted as globalising agents, providing many of the materials and institutional means for world economic and technical integration. Focusing on the study of international connections, Technology and Globalisation illustrates how expert practices have shaped the political economies of interacting countries, entire regions and the world economy. This title brings together a range of approaches and topics across different regions, transcending nationally-bounded historical narratives. Each chapter dea