TECHNOLOGICAL IMPACT ON SOCIAL CHANGE Technology An Agent

TECHNOLOGICAL IMPACT ON SOCIAL CHANGE

Technology: An Agent of Social and Cultural Change

Definition Technology: The creation of tools or objects that extend our natural abilities and later our social environment - Technology is an instrument of change (positive - and/or negative)

Types of Technology • Social: Human interaction/practices Facebook • Biological: Related to living organisms and their functions Genetic Engineering • Physical: A change in the method of creating Machines, Assembly Line • Mere: Neutral (no +/- unless misused) Escalator • Transforming: Innovative, constantly changing Computers, cell phones

Anthropological Theory of Social Change and the Role of Technology Theory Explanation Anthropological Change occurs Theory gradually b/c societies thrive on stability Cultural change and adaptation are accompanied by diffusion and acculturation Impact on Technology As societies interact, a process of cultural sharing occurs This often involves the sharing of technology Technology tends to destabilize society and forces society to find a new way to overcome instability

Traditional Anthropological Theory of Social Change • Societal change is initiated by an individual person who shares an idea with his or her community (if accepted, society changes to adapt to the new idea) • Technology reflects our social values • People determine how technology develops • People prefer to see themselves as masters of their own destiny (not technology)

Theory of Technological Determinism • Defined as: “The view that social change is initiated by technology and not necessarily by the individual” • This is contrary to what traditional theorists believe • Technology has a much greater influence on us than we would like to admit • Invention of a particular tool, such as a computer, takes on a life of its own after it has been introduced, with society reacting to the new technologies • Society develops and adapts to the changes it creates

Diffusion • 1500's— China produced most Technology • 1500 -1700's— Europe leads world in Technological advances • Yet many of these Technologies were the continuation of earlier advances in technology from China and elsewhere • Sharing of Technology is not as simple as merely transplanting Technology from place to place • Technologies shared between countries can be used for very different purposes • China— Gun Powder— used medicinally for centuries— passed on to Europe (gunpowder is said to be anthelmintic and can cure sores and ringworms and keep away dampness and plague) • Europe— within short time using it for cannons and firearms

Access to Technology • Not all countries have equal resources (human and material) • Even if Technologies can be transferred the results are not always desirable • Pakistan— introduction of tractor— replaces worker— 40% unemployment rate • Workers migrate to cities— dire poverty results— per acre crop yields hardly increased at all.

Equal use of Technologies can Have Devastating Impact • U. S. (pop. 290 million)-- one car/ 1. 5 people • China (pop. 1. 5 billion)-- one car/ 500 people • Technology of one country may not make good economic sense for another country • Poorer countries need Technologies that create human jobs, not replace human jobs • Technologies are often chosen by small power groups that represent their interests rather than the interests of the country.

Cultural Lag Theory • William Ogden believes that acceptance of a new technology follows a three-phase process • Stage One: Invention – combining elements and materials to form new ones • Stage Two: Discovery – discovering a new way of viewing reality • Stage Three: Diffusion – the spread of a discovery from one area to another • Here are the top 10 inventions. Explain how they relate to the Cultural Lag Theory. People who oppose new technologies are often called “luddites” after a secret society whose goal it was to destroy new textile machines during the early years of the Industrial Revolutionin a desperate attempt to preserve the skilled weavers’ way of life

Top 10 Inventions/Technologies that Changed the World MAKE A LIST OF AROUND 10 TECHNOLOGICAL INVENTIONS THAT YOU THINK HAD A GREAT IMPACT ON THE WORLD. IDENTIFY THE CHANGE YOU THINK HAPPENED.

http: //science. howstuffworks. com /innovation/inventions/10 inventions-that-changed-theworld. htm#page=9 10 INVENTIONS/ TECHNOLOGIES THAT CHANGED THE WORLD

10 – The Plow

#9 - Wheel

#8 – Printing Press

#7 - Refrigeration

#6 – Communication Technology

#5 – Steam Engine

#4 – The Automobile

#3 - Light bulb

#2

1. Internet

Affects of Technology on individuals and society THINK ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS IN THE FOLLOWING FIELDS: EDUCATION MEDICINE ENVIRONMENT AGRICULTURE IMPACT ON FAMILY LIFE

Technological change • GMO episode • http: //www. cbc. ca/news/canada/british-columbia/thousands-marchagainst-gmos-monsanto-across-canada-1. 2021582 video • Reproductive Technology • http: //www. parl. gc. ca/Content/LOP/researchpublications/prb 0035 e. htm text • http: //www. cbc. ca/archives/categories/health/reproductiveissues/fighting-infertility/reproductive-technology-legislation-may 2002. html video

Keeping up with the speed of technological change: • Alvin Toffler – people need to learn to control rate of change to avoid “adaptational breakdown” • Future Shock – disorientation brought on by technological advancement, creating a sense that the future has arrived prematurely • Stephen Bertman – technological change occurring so fast that values in society are being blurred • Hyperculture – reflects the staggering rate of change in societies – results in deterioration of the family

Psychology Perspective Overdependence on Technology: • Many people feel stressed due to their dependence on technology • Technostress – a reliance on technology that results in high anxiety when it is not working properly • Technosis – an overblown attachment to or dependency on technology – you feel out of touch without it – dependency on technology can cause phobias and addictions

Coping with Technological Change • While we are for the most part eager to accept and use new technological advancements we have to be aware of the negative consequences of these technological advancements • Internet has allowed many people to access useful information but has also allowed easy access to porn sites, hate sites and other dangerous sites on the web that parents don ’t want their children seeing

Impact of Technology in the Home: • Info-mated households: homes with at least five information technologies (including fax machines, TVs, computers, and cell phones) • Three trends in info-mated households: • Spend a lot of time thinking about their paid jobs – even when not working • Bring a lot of work home • Many parents approach their family life from a work perspective – task oriented roles in the household

Connected, but alone? • As we expect more from technology, do we expect less from each other? Sherry Turkle studies how our devices and online personas are redefining human connection and communication -- and asks us to think deeply about the new kinds of connection we want to have. She studies how technology is shaping our modern relationships: with others, with ourselves, with it. • Explain how the Evolution of Technology has changed her opinion – from a celebration of technology to the dangers of technologies (related to cell phones) • http: //www. ted. com/talks/sherry_turkle_alone_together. html • Explain how this relates to our study of Anthropology?

Technology and The child-driven education • Education scientist Sugata Mitra tackles one of the greatest problems of education -- the best teachers and schools don't exist where they're needed most. In a series of real-life experiments from New Delhi to South Africa to Italy, he gave kids self-supervised access to the web and saw results that could revolutionize how we think about teaching. • Sugata Mitra's "Hole in the Wall" experiments have shown that, in the absence of supervision or formal teaching, children can teach themselves and each other, if they're motivated by curiosity and peer interest. • http: //www. ted. com/talks/sugata_mitra_the_child_driven_education. html • Explain how this relates to our study of Anthropology?