Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

Workers resist new technology when it threatens their livelihood and survival. In Britain, women workers attacked the Spinning Jenny because it reduced labour demand, directly threatening their employment and income.

In contrast, Indian handloom weavers willingly adopted the fly shuttle because it helped them — increasing productivity per worker, speeding up production, and enabling them to compete with mill industries, without excessively pushing up costs.

This contrast reveals that workers accept technology when it improves their position and resist it when it destroys their means of survival. The key factor is whether new technology aids workers or displaces them.

Source: Chapter 4 — Small-scale Industries Predominate; Hand Labour and Steam Power

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• The examiner wants you to contrast both cases and then draw a generalised conclusion — that is the core of the 3-mark answer.
• Mention the Spinning Jenny resistance (threat to jobs) and fly shuttle adoption (aided productivity/competition) explicitly — these are the two specific examples the question demands.
• End with a clear principle: acceptance vs. resistance depends on whether technology helps or harms workers' economic position.
• Do not over-explain; ~75 words is ideal for 3 marks.