Methdology

The four stages identified with domestication are appropriation, objectification, incorporation, appropriation, and conversion. In each of the five case studies, a number of critical topics will be investigated. These should provide a balanced overview of the social, cultural and technical factors throughout the domestication process, as illustrated in Figure 1. When investigating the cases, more detailed measures can be identified for comparison across each case study, e.g. number of patents filed, drawings constructed, size of company, number of design changes from ‘type’, cost of product relative to cost of living, volume of sales, etc.

A number of common factors have emerged in reviewing the case studies. All of the products we have investigated are industrial as opposed to consumer products - this was due to the nature of the empire. While there was an emerging consumer market in the UK, in the colonies and dominions this was extremely limited. The factors identified include:

1. Market Conditions

captive market

key buyers – not mass market (e.g. government contracts)

2. Administration

estimates and contract tendering

Patenting

3. Competition versus collaboration

the companies

communication – within and between

the agents

personnel and personalities

marketing

prizes/shows

Patenting

4. Labour

production and utilisation of products

dissent

skills

dependence on labour, and trying to break it

5. Technology

the adaption

level of maturity

design practices