Practice cultural ergonomics

摘要

The case of the Samek, also known as Skolt Lapps, who live on the Kola Peninsula near Russia is often used to demonstrate the importance of technology from a cultural perspective. For generations, the Samek depended on reindeer and used them for food, clothing and currency. In the mid-1960s, a teacher purchased a snowmobile, and the innovation quickly diffused to the rest of the Samek community. This innovation modified the region economically and socially. Herders rode snowmobiles by standing on the floor boards or with their knees on the seat. When objects were struck by the front wheels, many fatalities occurred, and the number of skilled herders decreased to a critical low. Reindeer populations began to decline because of the stress of noisy machines and aggressive herding practices. By the mid-1970s, Samek culture was almost destroyed.