Beginning of Essay
Technology – as defined by the US National Academy of Science (cited in Jones 1996, p.17) – is a perishable resource comprising knowledge, skills, and the means of using and controlling factors of production for the purpose of producing, delivering to users, ....

Middle of Essay
.... to social, economic, political, and cultural factors occurring at the time. The relationship between technology and employment is at the same time complex and volatile (Mokyr 1990, p.52). To illustrate, the term “Luddite” was coined in the early 19th Century to describe mindless machine-breaking (Jones 1996, p.21). The Luddites were skilled cloth-weavers who believed that technology would destroy their livelihood and opportunities for work (Jones 1996, p.22). They were opposed not to the knitting and lace-making machines as such, but more to the “de-skilling” involved as these machines replaced workers which, inevitably led to the destructi ....