...The question we could ask is: what exactly is technology? Technology is generally used to meet the many challenges of globalization, and to control two concepts namely ‘time and space’ in human communication. This means that people working with technology create new ways and means to control and reduce ‘time and space’ in order to meet the global challenges we are faced with. We see that in the 21st century technology is another term used to represent our modern life style, thinking and behaviour. Technology is also used by people to improve their surroundings, and it involves having to have some sort of knowledge in order to use certain machines and tools to do so. Furthermore technology is used to control the world in which we live, and more specifically people use it to improve their ability to do work and improve products. This whole idea as to how we view technology is seen as the technological determinism approach. It has also been said that technology cannot work on its own, but rather it is found to work hand in hand with the environment in which we live (Lian, 2007). Therefore in my essay I will be looking at various types of technology from a technological determinist and cultural materialist perspective, and then looking at how these two approaches compare or differ from one another. This would also lead me to seeing if the cultural materialist approach does see society as being free agents and actually adapting technology to fit the culture. 1. The main ideas of technological...
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...that mankind has developed society and created a better world. We could say that technology is the sum total of instrumentally useful culturally-transmissible information. Technology is a word used to collectively describe or portray the advancements, abilities, creations, undertakings, views, and knowledge of a singular group of persons: we as human-kind. When there is talk about the relationships between technology and humanity, it is evident that we have to deal with the interrelations between some very complex phenomena. Technology, science, society or systems of societies, and systems of rights of a universal nature. The discovery and development of a large number of powerful energy sources-coal, petroleum, electricity etc. have enabled humanity to conquer the barriers of nature. All this has facilitates the growth of fast modes of transport, which in turn has transformed the world into a global village. In the “old days”, we used phones for talking to each other. That was it. Not for texting. Not for browsing the web. And not for playing Angry Birds (a nightmare, I know). In the past, technology was a bonus, not a necessity. We did not rely on technology to get from point A to point B. We did not rely on technology to tell us the phone number of the local bar. And we surely didn’t rely on technology for entertainment. Today, however, this is far from true. We absolutely need technology. Without it, our society would crumble at its’ feet, where it stands right now...
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...This article provides information about the importance of sociology to society! The most significance of sociology is that it studied the society social institutions scientifically. Of late the importance of sociology as the science of human relationship is being realised. The scientific study of society and the scientific promotion of human welfare has been neglected for long periods. Now the truly scientific study of society has been well under way. Sociology Image Courtesy : sociology.arizona.edu/sites/sociology.arizona.edu/files/images/soc_club_3.jpg As a matter of fact the study of social phenomena and ways and means of promoting what Giddings calls human adequacy is one of the most logical and reasonable of all subjects that ought to be made scientific. This century must be one of developing human and social welfare if we are to make social progress. It is, therefore, rightly thought by many that sociology may be the best approach to all the social sciences and therefore a key study for the present situation. As Beach says, sociology has a strong appeal to all types of minds through its direct bearing upon many of the critical problems of the present world. Giddings has suggested that just as economics tells up how to get the things we want to have, sociology tells us how to become what we want to be. Thus, sociology becomes as the scientific study of society, the representative of a great advice. Society is the largest organisation of the individuals...
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...TEACHING OF SOCIOLOGY Sociology is the academic study of social behavior, its origins,development,organisations and institutions. It is a social science that uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis in order to develop a body of knowledge about social order, social disorder and social change. Sociologists conduct a lot of research. In simple terms, it is the analysis of a social institution or a societal segment as a self contained entity or in relation to society as a whole. Sociology is defined as a theory, on one hand, of social organization and on the other, of social evolution. It is the psychology and biology of associational process. But I assume that in a department of sociology in a college, other closely related subjects will and should be taught such as demography, philanthropy and social anthropology or psychology. In one way all these subjects are sociology. So .. Here the Question is "how should sociology and other related subjects be taught in a college? Here, the problem may be related to the teaching staff available for the teaching of the subject. The staff available should be adequate, not too less, not too many. there should be one or two teachers confined to teaching only sociology and as a main subject ,not as a sub-section or only as a part time course. It should be taught systematically. Today however sociology is gaining popularity. One of the method applied can be this: the teacher can give its whole time and energy in...
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...SOC201- Introduction to Sociology The Sociological Framework and Socialization Module 1 CASE Trident University Dr. Tisey Hosley Module 1 CASE P.1 Sociology Sociology is the study of social life, social change, and social causes and consequences of human behavior. People generally are social beings more so than human being. This means simply that people need interaction with other people; it is the way that we are wired. As children we are brought up with certain types of thinking and motivation. This curves our social behaviors and makes us turn out the way that we do. Life experiences are another huge factor in how we develop motivation and our way of thinking. Sociology is also said to be concerned with all group activities such as economics, social. Political, and religion. The Objective of Sociology is to bring or provide information to advance of the overall understanding of the subject (sociology). Viewpoints The demographic category in sociology means that we are studying the dynamics of the human population. When doing this the population is divided into categories such as age, race, religion, income, etc. This lets us know certain information within different groups, such as where the majority of the tax money comes from. This would be broken down by race/ethnicity, age, sex, and income. Module 1 Case P.2 Viewpoints Cont. The Sociological viewpoint is consisted of everything that revolves around a person’s...
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...and possible explanation, but is left out. Instead the author decides on methodological triangulation because it allows differing methods of data collection regarding a social issue. The reason why this would be the best method as well as its benefits in social research is discussed. Yates also states that using combined research is extremely beneficial. This article will be useful because it demonstrates using the scientific method for sociologic research. It goes in depth giving example for each part of the method. Boutellier, R., Gassmann, O., Raeder, S. (unknown) What is the difference between social and natural sciences? Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich This article was posted as part of a class at the Virginia Tech. Institute taught by James Collier, a professor of science and technology. The article is written by three professors at the Swiss Federal Institute. The authors start with stating that it can be hard to distinguish what a science is. Natural...
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...Reflective Essay Introduction to Sociology Nicola McMenamin 730353x Word Count: 1579 40 % Dr. John McCormack October 21st 2012 Sociology "The art of life lies in taking pleasures as they pass, and the keenest pleasures are not intellectual, nor are they always moral", this quote was once said by a Greek secular artist, by reading this quote one can presume that most philosophers and thinkers alike look for a deeper meaning within their lives and throughout society. Previous to this course my viewpoint and attitude were based on the people of which I surround myself with, the life experiences I have encountered and the way in which we make our decisions and why. Following my studies I have found this foundation of my knowledge to be valid and rather accurate although there are numerous factors which make up our decisions and how we end up where we are, studying sociology has assisted me in becoming more aware of different factors which I may have not considered to make up a society and how in turn this has enhanced my sense of identity. In relation to individuality and where I am in society I have found there are a number of entities which define me within the social order, that being of where I have lived in the world, the people I surround myself with, the cultures I have endured and seen, the values I was taught as a child and to this day as an adult and the way...
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...Is Sociology a Science? Intro: What is Science vs. what is Sociology? The term “science” refers the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment. Objectivity is seen as an important part of the scientific process, and involves value freedom and open-mindedness. Sociology may want to be a science due to modernity and the rise of technology. Scientists may be interested in how individual’s actions are influenced by the rise of technology and the secularisation of religion. Thus they may conclude that the only way in which they can be studied is through observations and experiments, such as lab experiments; which take place in controlled factors with controlled factors, as Popper suggests, science involves the hypothetico-deductive method to test through research. Also positivists argue that it should be a science when studying social facts. Arguably, Sociology wouldn’t want to be seen as a science, as the association with science connotes that we are dealing with emotionless electrons and atoms, as opposed to people with feelings and emotions. Thus some would disagree with the idea that objectivity that is associated with studying people within society, which science influences, as we are people and we cannot disconnect ourselves from society. For example, it is not simple to disconnect yourself when studying a rape or murder case. Positivism is the...
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...What are they Doing with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology? DATA BRIEF ON CURRENT JOBS R o b e r t a S p a l t e r- R o t h a n d N i c o l e Va n Vo o r e n January 2008 In AY 2005 the American Sociological Association’s Research and Development Department surveyed a sample of close to 1,800 seniors to find out their satisfaction with the sociology major and their future plans for work, graduate school, or both. Early in 2007 we resurveyed the class of 2005 to find out what they were doing with their bachelor’s degree since graduation.1 This Data Brief, the first in a series of downloadable publications from the second wave of the survey, provides information on the post-graduate activities of graduates, the kinds of jobs they held as of December 2006, their satisfaction with these jobs, and the changes in their overall satisfaction with the sociology major. Figure 1 compares the 2005 responses of senior majors as to their future plans with their 2007 reports as to what they actually were doing. The figure shows that in 2005, 40 percent of respondents planned to work and not attend graduate school after they obtained their _________________________________________________ 1The response rate for the second wave of the survey was 44 percent or 778 graduates. FIGURE 1: MORE SOCIOLOGY BACHELOR’S RECEPIENTS ARE WORKING, PLANS FOR THE FUTURE AT TIME 1 VS. STATUS AT TIME 2 (in Percents) 42.1 Job Only 60.3 22.2 Grad School Only 13.1 ...
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...Technology and Social Change Tina Medina SOC/100 May 2, 2016 Andrea Harris Technology and Social Change This essay is about technology and social change, which are two things that have a huge impact in our world today. Ramey (2013), "Technology is a body of knowledge devoted to creating tools, processing actions and extracting of materials. We use technology to accomplish various tasks in our daily lives, in brief; we can describe technology as products, processes or organizations.” (para. 1). According to "Social Change Defined" (n.d.), "Social change refers to any significant alteration over time in behavior patterns and cultural values and norms.” (para. 1). Now that we have the definitions of technology and social change it is easy to see how they are related. No matter where or what you are going in your life it has been impacted my technology some way and have socially changed how we accomplish things in our everyday life. Some examples; checking out at the store can now be done through a self-checkout lane, you no longer need a map to travel with GPS available in your car, and people can work from home because of computers and advanced technology. All of these technology changes have made people learn new ways to complete tasks throughout their day and social change has occurred. Impact of Technology in Society Computers, cell phone, and the Internet have changed are lives drastically and is a part of everyone’s life in one form or another. Communication across...
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... Formal Organizations Over The Past Century: Max Weber developed a typology of organizations from ancient China to modern industrial society, providing the foundation for the sociology of organizations. In particular, Weber was concerned with what he considered to be the most rational form of organization, the bureaucracy, and the authority embedded in it. Weber noted that bureaucracies, prior to industrialization, were large and efficient but were guided by the patrimonial culture and the ruling aristocracy. (In World of Sociology, 2001.) In past centuries formal organizations functioned under what is called conventional bureaucracy. The ideal typical model of Bureaucracy given by Max Weber is the milestone in understanding the functioning of modern government. The Weberian model categorically focuses on two dimensions (i)The Structural, relating to the hierarchical arrangement of positions, legal rational basis of authority, with system of compensation, and(ii)The Behavioral, relating to the merit based selections of officials with the emphasis on training. (Prof. Sharma, 2010.) In past years formal organizations labored hard, yet now with the development of modern technology devices much of the work load is easier, and has more creativity. With these types of technology...
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...Running Head: WHY SOCIOLOGY? 1. Why Sociology? Queneshia Allen SOC 220 October 10,2015 Mary Brito WHY SOCOIOLOGY? 2. Why Take A Sociology Class Is Important To My Career And Life Goals? Sociology the spice of life, why taking a course in sociology is important the reason is to develop an understanding about the current events that are happening throughout the world. As a graphic designer it is imperative for the designer to have a grasp of the current events so that the designer can advertise the negative and positive events such as restaurants, technology, parks, poverty, and sickness. In my field of study as a graphic artist, I am being exposed to the different style of design, but, for me to fully understand I need to understand each new opportunity, sociology is a class I find that will assist with this understanding by opening the mind to something new by expanding my mind to the positive and negative of the world, I will have a different perspective and a certain amount empathy that I can merge into my designs. As a full-time student, I will face new endeavors still new to the changes I will have to experience on my own, I will be out on my own in the current world I will need a sharp wit and the knowledge to be able to survive; sociology though new to this course has given me a brand-new understanding taking sociology in college will give me the advantage I need in to express the emotion others who can not speak for themselves. As a student to be able...
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...Psychology, and Sociology Question Sheet Name: _Andrew Burdon____________________________ Examine the picture, and answer the questions below the picture in complete sentences. 1. The above picture illustrates the World Trade Centre Towers in New York moments before the World Trade Centre falls to the ground. What social changes resulted from this event? The social changes that resulted from this event impact all Americans to this day. Americans viewed their country as beloved around the world and when the attack was made many were confused. Americans now saw that their actions could not always be justified and that from other countries points of view, they were the bad guys. Also the response to the attack has had a huge impact on the economy even to this day. It is said that because of the response to 9/11 the economic weakness of the United States has greatly accelerated. The country is in debt from wars and exploits that can be traced back to the attack on American soil. 2. Make list of five questions relating to social changes that you can reasonably expect to occur during your lifetime (for example, will family ties grow stronger or weaker?) Beside each question state which social science (anthropology, psychology, or sociology) would be most likely to ask that question. Use the table below to fill in your responses. QUESTIONS|SOCIAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINE| Will social institutions become more or less popular?|sociology| Will it be harder...
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...NEO-POSITIVISM STUART DODD (1900) Contributed the S theory as a qualitative systematic theory of society. The symbol S representing situation. Situations are of 4 components; time, space, population, and characteristics. GEORGE ZIPF (1902-1950) The guiding postulate of his theory is the “principle of least effort”- that is, in situations allowing alternatives, people choose those procedures that result in the "least average rate of probable work” WILLIAM OGBURN (1886-1959) Contributed the “hypothesis or theory of culture lag”- the lag between the adaptive culture (nonmaterial culture) and the more advanced material culture. HUMAN ECOLOGY ROBERT PARKS (1864-1959, American) Introduce the term human ecology competition as the basic process in human relationships; biotic factors as the proper field of study in human ecology. ERNEST BURGESS (1886-1996, American) Introduced the Concentric Zones Theory in the development of cities. AMOS HAWLEY His “ecological theory” proposes five ecological processes which bring about changes in the pattern of relationships: concentration expansion or centralization, contraction or decentralization, segregation and conversion. WALTER FIREY Advanced the socio-cultural ecology; posited the theory that space may have symbolic value; cultural definition and cultural values in the giving of meaning to space. EUGENE ODUM Advance the “equilibrium theory” or a balanced development...
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...CONTRIBUTORS IN SOCIOLOGY Auguste Comte-(1898-1857) He is considered as father of sociology. Comte was born at Montpellier, in France. He founded the philosophy of positivism, and originated a concept of social science known as sociology. Comte sought to discover the laws that he believed governed the evolution of the mind. In his six-volume work, The Course of Positive Philosophy (1830-1842), he framed his "law of the three states." This law advanced the idea that people try to understand phenomena in three ways. Comte believed that people first seek a theological (supernatural) explanation; then a metaphysical (abstract) explanation; and finally a positive explanation. The positive explanation is derived from an objective examination of the phenomena. Comte believed that students should concern themselves only with phenomena that have an objective, "positive," existence. This belief forms a basis of positivism. He also has given importance to "social static and social Mobility" and cleared that changes of society can be understood on these basis. His contribution in field of Social reconstruction is related to social welfare of human beings, which should be studied with social methods. Comte regarded all social thought as an interrelated whole, the laws of which can be found by assembling what he considered the facts. His ideas have influenced students of historical and social theory, and of criminology, and such authors as Herbert Spencer and John Stuart...
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