Article,
Alternative cars: The contrasting stories of steam and diesel automotive engines
Technology in Society, 19 (2): 145 - 160 (1997)
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0160-791X(96)00061-9
Abstract
This paper discusses why some technologies become so entrenched in our society that it becomes virtually impossible to alter them, and why some challengers nevertheless succeed. It compares two alternatives to the automobile gasoline engine: steam and diesel. The central thesis is that established technologies remain because they have gained symbolic power, are carried by deeply embedded organizational structures, and have fostered strong behavioral patterns. The diesel engine managed to rid itself of the negative symbolism that had for a long time put it at a disadvantage compared to the gasoline engine. It was taken up by the same actors and organizations that supported the gasoline engine, and its engineers saw to it that users did not have to change their patterns of behavior. The steam engine, by contrast, did not succeed in any of these respects: it came to be associated (negatively) with high fuel consumption, its organizational affiliations were weak, and users were never given the opportunity to test their willingness to modify their behavior
