Information Technology Determines Contemporary Social Change - Essay Example

Running head: IT and Society IT and Society By ___________________ Information Technology determines contemporary Social Change. Discuss giving examples. Any technology aimed at providing updated information is referred to as 'Information Technology' (IT). Therefore in this context the best example of technology that establishes social change is 'Internet'. Although the impact Internet has had on today's society is hard to determine, but its influence can be easily visualised in various forms, through which it exists like telecommunications (TC), mailing systems like voice mail, electronic mail (e-mail), instant messaging, public network services etc. New technological advances have made clear that IT has inevitably changed people's perceptions all over the world to understand reality and thereby creating opportunities to change that reality. IT has made it possible through voice mail to leave, receive and store verbal, messages for and from people all around the world. E-mail and instant messaging is also an effective way to communicate by sending and receiving messages. An optimistic view of this is that information technology promotes communication between people and must therefore help to spread social and international understanding. People who are thousands of miles apart, either literally or socially speaking, can communicate through 'chat' groups, bulletin boards or e-mail; they can obtain information on different ways of life through World Wide Web sites and even experience the 'virtual reality' of other ways of life through interactive programs. More efficient production using IT creates more wealth, which can be shared amongst all the groups concerned. It can thus be argued that the technology has a built-in bias in favour of reducing social and economic divisions. (Tansey, 2002, p. 214) Perrons (2004) holds the opinion that technology develops within specific sets of economic and social arrangements and technological possibilities are not realised automatically, that is social change does not automatically follow technology. Indeed the technology underpinning existed and was being implemented in the 1920s, but sustained accumulation did not follow. Changes were necessary in the prevailing mode of regulation, that is in the institutional arrangements within which individual and social reproduction takes place. (Perrons, 2004, p. 131) Perrons (2004) further states that the precise effects of e-commerce on economic and social development are contingent, varied and rapidly changing and therefore need to be explored empirically. The same processes or technologies that allow small firms access to world markets, which may enhance local development, simultaneously give peripheral consumers access to firms in the centre thereby facilitating the development of 'superstar' firms, and in turn potentially promote superstar regions. (Perrons, 2004, p. 180) In a broader spectrum IT helps telecommunications (TC) and networks to constantly implement to support organisational goals. Stair & Reynolds while providing an IT implementation example explains: suppose a business needs to develop an accurate monthly production forecast. Doing so requires a manger to download data from customers' databases of sales forecasts. TC can provide a network link so that the manager can access the data needed for the production forecast report, which in turn supports the company's objectives of better financial planning. (Stair & Reynolds, 2001, p. 146) The more individuals and organisations grasp the nature of the technology and its possibilities, the greater the probability they can influence the direction of change. A modest hope is that increased communication and a greater pooling of information should in the long run make it easier for people, organisations and states to reach, if not a consensus on what should be done, at least informed compromises on how to live together. (Tansey, 2002, p. 214) Presently, IT has enabled our social system to confront with social change in the following matters: Internet has enabled to understand and implement the concept of real-world systems in management, enterprise, industrial and social sectors, thereby creating more and more job opportunities. A new concept of work at home jobs has been emerged for those individuals who want to work independently in order to balance their home and work life. It is easy to understand the components of complex systems, including the interactions between components. (Tansey, 2002, p. 14) It is easy to assess feedback and feed-forward in a system description, through online assessment. Computerised systems has made it possible to determine systems to be represented by a variety of models and to what extent the choice of a model type depends on the reasons for producing a system model. (Tansey, 2002, p. 14) Computerised systems has set up boundaries to identify between 'real' and 'virtual' applications in such a way that viable systems have been identified. Computerised system has produced models that are sufficiently general to have possible applications beyond the original domain of system study. (Tansey, 2002, p. 14) Agreeing the scope of a real-world situation of concern and agreeing a course of action to produce an improvement Internet has enabled to influence the real world through videoconferencing, which enables people to attend a live conference by combining voice, video and audio transmission. Through this effort not only travel expenses and time reduced, but managerial effectiveness is also increased through faster response to problems, access to more people and less duplication of effort. Many businesses find that the document and application sharing features of the videoconference enhance group productivity and efficiency. Today many banks are using videoconferencing and benefiting from the social change IT has driven. (Stair & Reynolds, 2001, p. 148) One aspect of the impact of IT on communities, which raises some controversial issues, is the extent to which it can be seen as promoting or reducing existing divisions in society. These include economic divisions between rich and poor and social divisions between genders, ethnic groups (e.g. people of different national origins or religion) and races. Internet and technology has enabled families irrespective of cultural or racial influences to adopt changing lifestyle in work relations and management that have also altered the perception of families, the way thay consider themselves. (Tech2006) "An example of this is the usage of telecommunication devices, such devices are utilised by families to coordinate concerns and activities, that means IT has disseminated family roles irrespective of gender concern". (Tech2006) IT is still on its way to modify the current global and social trends and in order to utilise the best of technological capabilities there is a need to examine international policies of IT at regional levels. (SSRC, 2006) References Perrons Diane, (2004) Globalisation and Social Change: People and Places in a Divided World: Routledge: London Stair M. Ralph & Reynolds W. George, (2001) Fundamentals of Information Systems Tansey D. Stephen, (2002) Business, Information Technology and Society: Routledge: New York. Tech2006 Accessed from SSRC, 2006 Accessed from How is IT changing the world of Learning The adaptation of ICT in education today is viewed as an object utilised as a medium for teaching and learning. (Lokman & Jager, Sept 1999) IT through the concept of 'distance learning' and electronic learning (e-learning) resources has revolutionised the world of knowledge. Distance learning software and systems has enabled instructors to easily create course home pages on the Internet or upload the course material on a website. Students can access the course syllabus and instructor notes on the web pages. E-mail mailing lists can be established so students and the instructor can easily mail one another as a means of turning in homework assignments or commenting and asking questions about material presented in the course. Students often form chat groups to work together as a 'virtual team' that meets electronically to complete a group work or project. (Stair & Reynolds, 2001, p. 151) Virtual learning (V-learning) has enhanced e-learning to be in a simple form in several aspects like research, assessment and evaluation, school improvement and accreditation. (V-learning2006) V-learning has managed many learning environments run effectively through online interaction. According to Koschmann (1996) educational technology over the last two decades is subdivided into two distinct paradigms. The first, which he called Logo-as Latin, marks an important break with the earlier theories of what and how students should learn, and it builds on a constructivist set of understandings. The second paradigm, Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL), builds on the constructivism of the first paradigm and adds a focus on the social context of learning. It is through the support of this paradigm that IT is enabled to change the course of learning. In this paradigm, students are viewed as members of communities with common goals, and technology supports the work of the community. The development of the Internet has allowed for the development of much more advanced CSCL environments than these earlier programs. (Conroy et al, 2000, p. 14) No doubt, there is significant overlap between many of the qualities of these two paradigms. Collins (1996) used the term interactive learning environment to encompass both of them, and he listed the following capabilities of such environments (1996): realistic situations, simulation, animation (i.e., ability to see processes that are otherwise not observable), expert advice (presented just when the learner needs it), video, diverse knowledge sources, multiple representations, testing hypotheses through modeling, scaffolding, and reflection. These capabilities enable interactive learning environments to support learning in ways that schools cannot easily provide. (Conroy et al, 2000, p. 14) According to Abbott (2000) "The rapid acquisition and distribution of collective learning through IT pays eloquent testimony to the Internet as a progenitor of situated learning". (Abbott, 2000, p. 101) This effective learning has gradually become a challenge for governments to harness motivation and potential, towards aims, which might be described as meeting the general approval of society. This means IT has revolutionised a diminishing range of literacy practices and learning collectives on the Web so that only those skills, which are a by-product of practices, become key outcomes themselves. (Abbott, 2000, p. 101) The UK government targets recognise that the Internet offers opportunities for communication and for collective learning. On the other hand, it has yet to recognise the extent to which the Internet and its associated technologies thrive on change rather than permanence. Similarly, there is a need to recognise that creation of identity to a community are both central attractions for users of IT. (Abbott, 2000, p. 101) References Abbott Chris, (2000) ICT: Changing Education: Routledge Falmer: London. Conroy Brian, Coulter Bob, Feldman Alan, Hutchison Charles, Konold Cliff and London Nancy, (2000) Network Science, a Decade Later: The Internet and Classroom Learning: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates: Mahwah, NJ. Lokman A. H & Jager A. K., (Sept 1999) Impacts of ICT in Education Accessed from < http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/documents/00001201.htm> V-learning2006 Accessed from < http://www.virtuallearning.org.uk/> 'IT is making the rich richer and the poor poorer.' Do you agree with the statement I fully agree with the changing and growing trends IT has created in terms of businesses, man power and employment opportunities. In order to elaborate the statement "IT is making the rich richer and the poor poorer", I would categorise my viewpoint in two aspects. First the statement is true in case of those businesses that have adopted IT applications and has successfully implemented the automatic computerised techniques in place of manual procedures. This where on one hand has enabled businesses to cut down their costs regarding manpower and other concerns, on the other hand it has enabled organisations to gain the trust of their customers who rely on computerised processing techniques and believe that they are more reliable and error free than manual processing. Those entrepreneurs who involved into being computerised processing instead of being manual way back ten years are today well settled and stable. On the other hand are those who lag behind by not updating themselves according to the changing global trends. Today they are nowhere on the map of successful entrepreneurs. This refers to the point that IT has well established those who have moulded according to the requirement of computerised system processing. Here, I would discuss an example of a courier service 'Federal' with an ordinary service 'Couriers'. Federal provides a computerised approach to its customers to detect their goods while Couriers provides a manual approach due to which it is not possible for the customers to detect their goods on shipment. A customer who wants to track his shipment can easily access Federal online system and can track his parcel, while this facility is not available with Couriers. Of course the customers would prefer Federal to Couriers. IT has also created opportunities for working sector, those who wish to work at home and be their own manager, particularly in the marketing sector. According to WSI, "Businesses must have the knowledge of how they can profit from this new technology". (WSI, 2006) The second aspect refers to those businessmen who despite updating themselves have suffered financially due to which they have welcomed poverty with open arms. This refers to those entrepreneurs who after adopting online computerised banking, did not concerned to care about the security measures to be taken. As a result they were bankrupt by hackers and online fraud. They adopted electronic payment systems for their business transactions but suffered losses for they did not safeguarded their business transactions. Although security is important, it has not always been critical to a company's success. (Andress, 2003, p. 1) Therefore, the company with the weaker security infrastructure might be more reluctant to launch e-business projects because it is concerned with security and does not know how to adequately protect itself. (Andress, 2003, p. 12) In this context the main priority for a business must be to maintain and update its' confidentiality of data and files. (Maiwald, 2001, p. 28) References Andress Amanda, (2003) Surviving Security: How to Integrate People, Process, and Technology: Auerbach Publications: Boca Raton, FL. Maiwald Eric, (2001) Network Security: A Beginner's Guide: Network Professional's Library, Osborne. WSI, 2006 Accessed from Use Weber's rationalisation theory to explain the widespread use of "artificial intelligence" Weber considered 'Rationality' as a unique set of social actions likely to be governed by any concern, action or reasoning, therefore his work involved solid calculation along with the rational pursuit of individual interests. Weber considered several aspects of rationality to be followed by rational-legal authority. (Weber2006) Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be defined as those rational characteristics, which are adopted from 'rationalisation theory' in terms of calculation, efficiency, predictability and non-human technology. (Weber2006) Example of Rationalisation Theory in context with AI can be considered in the following way: Robotics, a branch of AI, involves developing mechanical or computer devices that can print cars and perform tasks that require a high degree of precision that are tedious for humans. The controlling software in robots is the most important aspect of AI, which relates to the theory. Weber has always focussed on rational and logical development. In brief, his work indicates that he always hold the opinion in favour of 'quantitative' and not 'qualitative'. This means he has always been specific in handling complications, which is the main purpose of AI. Artificial intelligence is the science of making machines possessing intelligent behaviour, do things that would require intelligence if done by men. (Minsky, 1968) Artificial intelligence in relation to Weber's approach cannot be perceived of as a dream. This is because of those conceptions that really constitute artificial intelligence, like intelligent robots that are capable of handling all tasks needed to accomplish goals with high levels of cognition and decision-making abilities. (Desouza, 2002, p. 38) Not only AI enables these machines to outlast and outthink humans and end up either victorious in conquering some planet or are eventually destroyed for the good of mankind through actions of a superhero, AI also helps distinguish between rational and irrational approach. AI by no means is irrational; therefore Rationalisation theory best defines AI in terms of those logical and mathematical functions that it performs. Weber emphasises on the "free market" and "free labour" and defines the parameters as it reveals a commitment to a formal model of the system that refuses to entertain fully its fundamental contradictions. (Kemple & Wilson, 2004, p. 29) Weber, speaking sociologically, admits that absolute values themselves are ultimately non-rational, and even that the action these absolute value commitments call forth shares the same fate. Whether we are dealing with "duty, honour, the pursuit of beauty, a religious call, personal loyalty, or the importance of some 'cause' no matter in what it consists, " it is the actor's diminishing consideration of consequences which renders his action non-rational, sociologically speaking. Weber wants sociology to recognise the existence of a realm of "values" which is more than simply a territory for future data accumulation. (Kemple & Wilson, 2004, p. 29) AI systems are not designed to replace human decision making completely but to replicate it for certain types of well-defined problems. (Stair & Reynolds, 2001, p. 250) This perception is in accordance with Weber's rationalisation theory, which aims at targeting specific models. Therefore we can say that AI is the implementation of 'Rationalisation Theory'. References Desouza C. Kevin, (2002) Managing Knowledge with Artificial Intelligence: An Introduction with Guidelines for Nonspecialists: Quorum Books: Westport, CT. Kemple M. Thomas & Wilson H. T., (2004) The Vocation of Reason: Studies in Critical Theory and Social Science in the Age of Max Weber: Brill: Boston Minsky, M.L., (1968) ed. Semantic Information Processing. Cambridge: MIT Press. Stair M. Ralph & Reynolds W. George, (2001) Fundamentals of Information Systems Weber2006 Accessed from Read More