Duncan 1

Technology and its Effect on the Standards

of Human Living

Terrance Duncan
Word Count: 2214
International Academy of Macomb
2014-2015

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Table of Contents
Criterion A: The Goal....................................................................................................................3
Criterion B: Select Sources...........................................................................................................4
Criterion A: Application of Information.....................................................................................5
Criterion C: Achieving the Goal...................................................................................................6
Criterion D: Reflect on Learning.................................................................................................8
Bibliography.................................................................................................................................10

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Criterion A: The Goal

A dire problem that has left many people involved with international relations including
diplomats, historians, and humanitarian aid workers has been ways to improve the lives of those
living in poverty. Those who do are often left wondering as to why around the world can have
such different lifestyles- why do those in a well-developed nation such as Switzerland enjoy such
a higher quality of life than a person living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or along the
Nile River in Northern Sudan? What even determines these standards of human living and in
what ways can they be improved to create a sense of equality around the world. To allow a
human being, no matter the upbringing, to have a chance to live a high quality life, free from
disease, hunger, and lack of security. Many of the same questions that these individuals ask
themselves, are questions considered in this Personal Project. Through preliminary research, a
common connection was made: countries who had high technological outputs often had their
citizens enjoy a higher quality of life; however, in the initial research stages, there was no solid
evidence to support this, so the topic was further investigated. All of these questions could be
formatted into a much broader inquiry question, To what extent does technology affect the
standards of human living?
An excerpt from the finished project provides a more complete understanding of the
projects relation to global contexts and why it fits the criteria of those contexts, It is centered
around the global context of Orientation in Space and Time, which in a short summary, focuses

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on the meanings of "when" and "where" in relation to time and location. I felt this was an
appropriate global context to select for my project because my project focused on a transition of
an idea across continents over the course of a selected part of human history. While this context
embodies the majority of the final project, it was choses specifically as a mean to study the
varying effects of one influencing factor around the world- in this case technology.
This topic promoted personal interest due to the fact that I am interested in the effects that
things have on cultures and lifestyles around the world. Since a young age, I have been
fascinated with the idea that something significant in one culture may be completely unknown in
another. Prior to this research investigation, I had only general knowledge about the topic. It was
understood that a variety of factors influence the way people live, but it was unknown as to how
these factors worked. In the 21st Century, which has been dubbed the age of technology,
technology has become an increasingly crucial aspect to the lifestyles of people all around the
world. Whether it be the cellphones that drive the daily lives of people in modern well developed
nations or a simple solar cell providing electricity to the poorest village in the heart of the
Saharan Desert, technology is an unavoidable part of human civilization.
The inquiry question does not have a simple yes or no answer. It is already understood
that technology does affect the standards of human living, but what remained unknown was the
how and why. As the final result, the goal of this project is a complex informational website
providing those wanting to know more about this topic a resource that can be used to become
informed, not only of the why is this significant, but also what can be done to help it change.
Criterion B: Select Sources
All of the sources that were utilized were secondary sources. They were all credible
sources published by international organizations dedicated to the development of humanities

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around the world. To ensure accuracy of information, over 30 sources were used to cross analyze
and collect data to be displayed in the final outcome of this project. As with any research there
was difficulty acquiring some information, while other information was more easily accessible.
Initially, the inquiry question investigated the difference of living standards for humans in Asia,
Africa and Europe; however, due to the lack of information available for the majority of Africa,
an accurate and thorough conclusion could not be made. This is due to a variety of factors such
as ongoing civil war, lack of upkeep of records, and inflated or skewed information that has been
corrupted and thus unusable. While across all three continents this was an issue for more than
one country, it was most prevalent in Africa, so it was decided to be removed from the
investigation.
All of the information was derived from web sources that were primarily statistics.
Information that was atypical of the other sources utilized or provided bias or data collected from
an individual were not used. Sources such as blogs, personal media outlets, and sites meant to
evoke a specific emotion were among those that might have been researched, but not included in
the final outcome. Different sources were used to varying degrees. Many sources often were used
to present a media form and an analysis of that media form, while others provided statistical data
to present an argument. While some sources might have been used more than others, all played a
crucial role into the understanding of the topic investigated.
Criterion A: Application of Information
To complete this project, I started with a general research investigation that incorporated
what technology was, ways of measuring its output, and measures of the standards of human
living around the world. This phase was largely trial and error, selecting information that would

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allow an argument to be crafted; however, a large amount of misleading information also was
come across. In the initial phase, over 150 sources were researched.
The next phase of this project was to analyze the sources that had been researched and
determine their usefulness toward my investigation. This process utilized the majority of my
project development, occurring over a span of two and a half months. At the end of this phase,
roughly 35 sources had been selected to be utilized in the project, which can be seen later in the
attached bibliography.
The final phase of completing the project was incorporating the information that had
been researched into a final outcome that would inform readers while also keeping them
engaged. As this website is roughly 11,000 words in its entirety, the use of visual aides are an
essential aspect to help inform an individual who may not have a prior understanding pertaining
to this topic. No specific techniques were developed in the application of information; however it
was applied in a way that would allow any reader of the website to be able thoroughly
understand.
Criterion C: Achieving the Goal
As the project developed, significant changes as to what the final outcome would be
changed. While the format remained the same the content of what would be contained in the
project was completely restructured. Due to lack of available information for Africa, the complex
cross analysis of Asia-Africa-Europe removed Africa from the final results. Omitting this
continent changed the way that technology was viewed. Instead of seeing technology as a strong
or a weak point for each continent, it became smaller scale- why do certain regions of each of
these continents fare so much better technologically than other regions in the same general
geographical era. In this phase, a paradox was discovered. Countries that historically fared better

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with technological advancement continued to promote innovation and thus a higher standard of
living, while those who historically had not fared as well had a lower standard of human living.
In laymans terms, countries that prosper will continue to prosper, and those that struggle will
continue to struggle. At this phase a new idea was researched- if countries had abundance of
technological output, and thus an abundance of high living standards, why couldnt other
countries simply just send over supplies to help a struggling country prosper. This idea expanded
the perspective that it was not as simple as sending over supplies and hoping a country would
suddenly experience a technological boom per se. A technological index is determined by nontangible factors. Innovation, Research and Development, and Number of Scientists are the three
largest contributing factors that simply cannot be simply shifted toward another country. Values
that one country has might limit the way these three factors are develop, thus causing them to
have a lower index. Other factors such as internet speed and access to the internet can also
influence the ability for a country to advance technologically, again strengthening the
paradoxical idea that countries that have fared well will continue to fare well, it is just an
unavoidable aspect of human civilization.
Despite challenges faced during the research investigation, overall the final achievement
was produced and met. A change in research and or perspective is an important part of any
research investigation, this one included. Any complex, well-constructed investigation will have
its enquirer facing obstacles, dead-ends and unprepared discoveries that ultimately affect their
final outcome. Even though at times it was difficult to maintain an elevated standard of quality
not only for research, but also for the project, I feel as though I maintained that desired level of
quality, and that it is clearly apparent in the final outcome in my Personal Project.

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Criterion D: Reflect on Learning
Concluding the research of my investigation, my conclusion was similar to what I had
initially anticipated- that there was no definitive answer to this investigation, and that it adapts as
frequently as the technology that causes it too. Technology is one of the many aspects of human
civilization that influences how it is developed. Saying that technology is the sole factor that
determines whether or not a country will prosper is equivalent to stating that it is always raining
in the city that you live in because the weather forecast calls for a thunderstorm later in the week.
Through this research, I can however determine that it does a play a role in how humanities
develop. Technology is a human-driven application meant to improve the lives of those that use
it. The extent in which it does however is entirely relative to what part of technology you are
applying and the means in which you are applying it in. Something that may be insignificant to
one group of people might be a driving force for the society of another. An excerpt from my
project, The final conclusion is very complex and continues to change, just as technology does.
While I have gathered enough evidence to make a solid assertion in relation to my inquiry
question, this topic will become a growing focal point in establishing technology as a means to
progress human growth, especially as technology becomes more advanced and self-sufficient.
What can be said though is that technology affects the standards of human living on a wide
variety of fronts, and there is no single answer on how to approach this question. The end result
is multifaceted and very complex, appropriate for the investigation of the Personal Project that I
chose to research, summarizes the importance of technology in relation to living standards
effectively.
In terms of self-assessment, overall this project was completed excellently. Despite being
slightly behind schedule, this project was completed in a timely manner. The extra time allotted

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allowed for the research investigation to be conducted as thoroughly as possible, allowing for a
more complete understanding of the topic investigated. In this project I learned how to research
effectively and how to better my time management skills. These two in particular will become
increasingly useful to me as I journey throughout high school and eventually through college and
beyond.
I chose a monthly journal through Microsoft Word as my process journal. Initially I had
chosen to do it on a week by week basis; however, as time progressed, the journals had become
almost identical, so it was deemed better to create one for each month rather than on a week by
week basis. This proved especially useful during the research phase and during the summer
phase when there was no change in what was actually being done in terms of research and
development of the project.
Throughout this investigation I tested the limits of my patience as well as my
determination. Often when I would hit a dead end I would be tempted to give up or scrap the
investigation entirely; however, I chose to continue to pursue the investigation and am satisfied
with the results. Throughout this investigation I portrayed the learner profile qualities of being
open-minded, a risk taker, and naturally, an inquirer. Finding balance between the other parts of
my life and this project proved to be a challenge; however, I was able to successfully do so. As a
result of this investigation I am now a more knowledgeable thinker, informed about the topic
research. This is a vital part of the project, not just allowing oneself to investigate a topic of their
choice, but simultaneously allowing them to develop skills to help them become a better student,
and to help them succeed in life.

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Florida, Richard. "The World's Leading Nations for Innovation and Technology."
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Graham, Ian. "Countries Compared by Economy Population below Poverty Line.
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Web. 01 June 2014.

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"North Korea - Infant Mortality Rate - Historical Data Graphs per Year." North Korea Infant Mortality Rate - Historical Data Graphs per Year. Web. 24 May
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