Abstract

RODRIGUEZ ORREGO, Vero Edilio  and  SIMO HERNANDEZ, Arisleydi. THE PUBLIC GAS LIGHTING AS A TECHNOLOGICAL PRACTICE IN CIENFUEGOS SOCIETY (1857-1890). Universidad y Sociedad [online]. 2019, vol.11, n.3, pp. 96-103.  Epub Sep 01, 2019. ISSN 2218-3620.

The technology-society relationship still shows little presence in national historical investigations. Consequently, this paper aims to explain the integration of public gas lighting, as a technological practice, to Cienfuegos society between 1857 and 1890. In the research process, it was necessary to adopt the theoretical-methodological assumptions articulated by the social history of technology, particularly the notion of Technological Practice. In this article the organizational and technical elements that distinguished the integration of public gas lighting in Cienfuegos society are identified. Likewise, there are also given the effects generated by public gas lighting on the urbanization process, the economy, the cultural life as well as, the given impact on health and safety of the population. The information for this investigation was obtained on documentary, bibliographic and hemerographic sources located in local, national and foreign institutions. The study reveals its novelty, in the first place, from the empirical point of view, through the elements that are exposed about public lighting in Cienfuegos and particularly the gas lighting: its technical and organizational deployment in the urban area and its interactions with economy, politics and culture. On the other hand, it also offers an interdisciplinary methodological orientation that can be useful in investigations about similar objects of study, which could be undertaken in the future.

Keywords : Gas lighting; technological practice; Cienfuegos society; social history of technology.

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