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Technological apartheid

Technological apartheid is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Technological apartheid rather than just read about it. In short: Technological apartheid is the denial of useful modern technologies to Third World or developing nations. The term is based upon the South African term apartheid, partly refers to the practice of keeping certain populations in a separate, lower-class status.

Key takeaways

  • Technological apartheid belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Technological apartheid to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Technological apartheid from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Technological apartheid is the denial of useful modern technologies to Third World or developing nations. The term is based upon the South African term apartheid, partly refers to the practice of keeping certain populations in a separate, lower-class status. It has been used to describe situations that are unintended, such as the absence of computers and information technology in the favelas of Brazil or other impoverished areas. Some of the technologies in question are dual-use technologies, advanced technologies which can have both civilian and military applications. Some commentators allege that the issue of dual-use technologies is a red herring, and that some advanced-sector nations, who wish to keep the Third World nations as poor client states, withhold technologies that are essential for economic development, using the pretext that they will be used for military purposes.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Technological apartheid

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Technological apartheid claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Technological apartheid before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Technological apartheid ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Technological apartheid

In research
Technological apartheid appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Technological apartheid in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Technological apartheid is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics International relations terminology, Nuclear proliferation, Political science stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Technological apartheid outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Technological apartheid in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Technological apartheid means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Technological apartheid out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Technological apartheid in simple terms?

Technological apartheid is the denial of useful modern technologies to Third World or developing nations. The term is based upon the South African term apartheid, partly refers to the practice of keeping certain populations in a separate, lower-class status.

Why does Technological apartheid matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Technological apartheid?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Technological apartheid.

Tags

  • International relations terminology
  • Nuclear proliferation
  • Political science stubs

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