Historical epoch
at
Pick an historical epoch (e.g. ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, Han dynasty-era China, 18th or 19th Century Europe, post-WWII, etc.) and examine the state of globalization as it existed then. What were the key network technologies that facilitated this condition? What were some of the social and cultural implications of the network society that prevailed at that time?
Sample Solution
The Roman Empire (27 BCE-476 CE) was a period of great globalization and increased connectivity throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East. As an empire that spanned thousands of miles, they had to develop a variety of network technologies in order to facilitate communication between its many different regions. The most important technology during this time was the Pax Romana road system which allowed for quick transportation across vast distances (Desnitsky & van den Hoven, 2018). This enabled people to move goods quickly and efficiently as well as providing access for military troops to travel long distances with relative ease. Advanced engineering techniques such as aqueducts also played a major role in facilitating communication by providing clean drinking water which allowed cities to expand and become hubs for trade (Desnitsky & van den Hoven, 2018).
In addition to physical infrastructure, the Romans also developed complex legal systems known as “codices” or collections of laws; these were used both domestically and in their colonies in order to maintain stability through unified standards (Desnitsky & van den Hoven, 2018). Furthermore, the postal service developed at this time served both political leaders and merchants by allowing them to keep abreast of current affairs in far away locations while simultaneously trading goods on an international scale (Desnitsky & van den Hoven, 2018). All together these network technologies provided tremendous advantages during the age of ancient Rome; allowing them not only conquer distant lands but also connecting their entire empire through commerce and communication.