Introduction

This course takes one aspect of the debate concerning the new economy – innovation in the form of the introduction of information and communication technologies – and places it in the historical context of industrial revolutions. Is the new economy really new or ‘just another’ industrial revolution? This course provides a sample of Level 1 study in Sociology.

Course learning outcomes

After studying this course, you should be able to:

• Understand the relationship between technological change and industrial revolutions
• Appreciate the pervasive effect that new technologies can have on the economy and, in particular, on productivity
• Understand how industry dynamics can be analyzed using the ‘industrial life cycle’ model
• Use data and historical examples to support economic arguments.