“Technology is not just [gadgets], widgets, or software, but is also a social and cultural activity, and thus can be inhibited or encouraged by different cultural patterns.”
Technological, Social, and Sustainable Systems Arizona State University Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)

The above quotation highlights a very interesting issue especially as it concerns development in emerging countries like Nigeria. In today’s world – though not unlike other epochs – the most pervasive element in our day to day lives is technology; especially information technology. Yet despite the ubiquity of technology we still grapple with trying to take advantage of its seemingly limitless potentials. Despite the lightening speed at which development is moving we seem to not only be static, but actually in geometric retrogression.

This avoidable underperformance seems to lay credence to theories that link our situation to certain socio-cultural practices that inhibits our efforts to optimize technological tools and artifacts for our common betterment. Looking at things critically, I have come up with the following as probable REASONS why some cultures tend to be more successful in harnessing ‘technology’ for societal progress. This is not something new but most likely a rehash of sorts of what has been theorized by more competent voices than mine. I do hope that there is some relevance to be found in these thoughts of mine.

1. Beliefs and superstitions: The source of any activity and behaviour (or lack of it) is the thought process and so it is in the convictions and beliefs that we must first inquire as to the reason for action and/or inaction. It is quite evident that from attitudes to motivations, we that are members of the underdeveloped parts of the world need to introspect and interrogate certain aspects of our cultures that have caused our stagnation if at all we are serious about making our realities better. Instead of clinging to superstitions and doing the same thing over and over again with no success, we should embrace scientific enquiry and critical thinking. This would enable us to do away those things that no longer serve any purpose but to pin us down and perpetuate our immobility.

2. Fear of the Unknown and a seeming lack of a sense of Adventure/ Openness to novelty: It is a common saying that the higher the risk the higher the return and that in order to be extraordinary, one must do something ‘extra’! This is applicable in the case of communities, societies and nations. With the right kind of thinking grounded in the sure footing of facts, comes the confidence to make mistakes, venture, achieve and optimize the full potentials of our human abilities. Any society that intends to be sustainable must embrace ‘novelty’ in its day-to-day mundane activities and adopt an attitude of continuous improvement and seeking excellence. Without this, there can only be stagnation and atrophy because life is dynamic by default!

3. Selfishness and lack of altruism: A long standing theory in the study of group dynamics has been that it is those groups with the most cohesion and attentiveness to ‘group interest’ that end up becoming the most successful over time both as a group as well as individually. It is no wonder that most laws are primarily geared towards the preservation of the ‘group interest(s)’ one way or another. It is no secret that most underdeveloped regions of the world are characterized by schisms and petty in-fighting that make it hard for anyone within the group to ‘grow’. In the end even ‘vision’ is abandoned in favor of immediate gratification and survival. It is therefore not surprising that all developed societies place premium on charity and social welfare as a key to sustaining abundance and wealth in the society.

In conclusion let me leave us with a quotation from the field of System Thinking which in part inspired this piece. As we look for solutions, let us learn to better manage our situations as we continue evolving.

“If a factory is torn down but the rationality which produced it is left standing, then that rationality will simply produce another factory. If a revolution destroys a government, but the systematic patterns of thought that produced that government are left intact, then those patterns will repeat themselves. . . . There’s so much talk about the system. And so little understanding.”

—Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (Culled from Thinking in Systems —A Primer— by Donella H. Meadows)

Haidar Wali