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This article examines the expansion of car ownership in Spain, from the 1950s to the present. The author shows that population growth, per capita income growth, and the desire of Spain's citizens to own private automobiles were the chief factors in explaining the country's automobile growth trend. Spain reported a production of 17.5 million private automobiles (or 442 cars per 1,000 persons) in 2000, up from 25 automobiles per 1,000 persons in 1965. Another factor contributing to automobile ownership was the death, in 1975, of Francisco Franco. The author notes that Franco's death ended autocratic rule and allowed the newly restored democracy to open Spain's markets to foreign competition, leading ultimately to the country joining the European Union in 1985.

Scholarly pursuits of the topics encompassed by science, technology, and society (STS) provide many opportunities to combine sociology with history. This article notes some of the reasons why sociology has tended to ignore history but asserts that scholarly explorations of STS topics, and in particular the study of technological change, provide many opportunities for engagements with history. A number of research issues are presented that focus on such topics as the rise of the nation-state, changes in the occupational structure, and recast gender roles. The article concludes that a historically informed study of technology and technological change will add an important dimension to a key sociological insight, that people actively create the forces shaping their lives while also being constrained and molded by these creations.

A number of analyses of contemporary Chinese society have centered on the presumed conflicts between politically reliable "reds" and technically proficient "experts." This article challenges this mode of analysis by indicating the multi-dimensionality of both categories and by setting them in their historic and cultural contexts. Particular emphasis is accorded to the importance of organiza tional affiliation in defining the social role of the expert. A short history of the interaction between organizational development and the role of the expert is presented, along with some considerations of future trends in this area.