Repair, reuse and disposal are closely interlinked phenomena related to the service lives and persistence of technologies. When technical artefacts become old and worn out, decisions have to be taken: is it necessary, worthwhile or even possible to maintain and repair, reuse or dismantle them – or must they be discarded? These decisions depend on factors such as the availability of second-hand markets, repair infrastructures and dismantling or disposal facilities. In telling the stories of China's power grid, Canadian telephones, German automobiles and India's shipbreaking business, among others, the contributions in this volume highlight the persistence of technologies and show that maintenance and repair are not obsolete in modern industries and consumer societies.
Price: $45.00
Pages: 292
Publisher: transcript publishing
Imprint: transcript publishing
Series: Science Studies
Publication Date:
27 October 2021
Trim Size: 8.86 X 5.83 in
ISBN: 9783837647419
Format: Paperback
BISACs:
HISTORY / Social History, TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING / History
»Without a doubt, this collection moves the study of technology forward in important and productive conceptual avenues.«
Stefan Krebs (Dr. phil.) is Assistant Professor for Contemporary History at the Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History.
Heike Weber (Dr. phil.) Heike Weber is Professor of History of Technology at the Technische Universität Berlin.
Frontmatter 1
Contents 5
Preface 7
The Persistence of Technology: 9
Rethinking the History of Repair: 27
Repairing China's Power Grid Amidst Perpetual Warfare, 1937-1955 51
Changing Perceptions of Repair and Maintenance: 69
Business as Usual: 87
Mud Bricks in a Concrete State: 111
Maintaining the Mobility of Motor Cars: 139
Of Buses, Batteries and Breakdowns: 163
A Bargain or a "Mousetrap"? 185
"Proof of Life": 205
Mending or Ending? 233
The Persistence of SS France: 263
Authors 287
