What is a focus of cultural anthropology regarding technology?

Cultural anthropology places a significant emphasis on understanding the relationship between technology and cultural practices. This entails not only how technology is developed and utilized within various societies but also how it shapes social interactions, belief systems, and daily life. Technology is not viewed simply as tools or machines but as a dynamic component that influences and reflects cultural values, norms, and social structures.

Through this lens, cultural anthropologists investigate how different cultures adopt, adapt to, and integrate technologies into their lives, and how these technologies can lead to changes in cultural practices, identity, and social organization. By studying the intersection of technology and culture, anthropologists aim to uncover the broader implications of technological practices on human behavior and societal development. This understanding is rooted in the idea that technology does not exist in a vacuum; it is deeply embedded within the cultural context in which it operates.