Using named examples, assess the relative importance of political, economic and social factors in explaining unequal access to technology. (15 marks)

Using named examples, assess the relative importance of political, economic and social factors in explaining unequal access to technology. (15 marks)


Using named examples, assess the relative importance of political, economic and social factors in explaining unequal access to technology. (15 marks)

All three of these factors are very significant in explaining unequal access to technology and why some nations are more technologically advanced than others and by looking at different case studies, the relative importance of political, economic and social factors in explaining unequal access to technology can be identified.

Political factors are very important in explaining the unequal access of technology. Communist countries, such as China and North Korea restrict the availability of technology to the citizens of their nations. In North Korea, people are completely unaware and ignorant of the fact they are being deprived from these technological advancements. Journalists and reporters who break these rules can face jail time and harassment from governments, especially in North Korea, under the dictatorship of Kim Jong Un. People are pressured into this form of 'censorship' and due to this people within these nations are unaware of the technology they could have and use, and thus they are ignorant to their deprival, consequently meaning the choose not to revolt. There a big negatives of this censorship however. As shown by recent studies, China are massively behind other economic superpowers such as America when it comes to applications for patents. The Chinese education system is massively behind when it comes to innovation and the development of new technologies, and the censorship and restriction of technologies, implemented by the communist government, undoubtedly plays a part in this.

Another political factor which influences the unequal distribution of technology is the corruption of governments and war. Corruption and war both limit the economic and social development of a nation, consequently reducing equality and limiting the ability to produce and develop new technologies. Examples of...

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