Technology Absorption and Appropriate Technology

Technology absorption refers to the degree in which a new tool or technology introduced into an existing culture is ultimately adopted by a user group. Although technologists might intend tools to be used in a certain way or assume that they will address a certain need, the adopting group may discover new or unexpected uses for the tools, or they might reject them outright if they are incompatible or undesirable for use in an existing framework. In a worst-case scenario, introducing an untested tool into an unfamiliar or misunderstood system can do more harm than good. A nuanced understanding of local resources, economy infrastructures, culture, and society is a necessity if one wishes to integrate a new tool into an existing system (or network of ...