Culture, Ethnicity and Gender - Essay Example

Culture and Difference Table of Contents Introduction 3 Discussion 4 Conclusion 9 References 11 Introduction Technology has great impact on human lives. Technology provides various mediums that create a platform for knowledge and culture sharing between individuals with different background. It has a direct effect on ethnicity and culture of an individual. There are various theories and reports that have emerged from the discussion of technology and several challenging themes that signifies the important aspects that has direct effect on cultural and ethical values of a person. There are mainly three perspectives that comprise the theory of technology and its impact on social, cultural and ethical identity of an individual. The first perspective is contributors commented on happenings that may or may not need to take consign on speculative justifications as simultaneously to cultural change. This is based on the theoretical evidences that are observed on a daily change occurring in the life of people. The second important explanation provided by the contributors is based on the effect of technology on ecological factors. Growth in technology has a direct effect on the ecology this has been presented with significant justifications. The third and most important theory on this ground is based directly on the direct impact of the nature and role of individual uniqueness, ways of consigning about identity, the position of education to uniqueness and more prejudiced positions including personal indications, explanation on sensory contribution and human. Therefore these are the main topics that deal with theory, change and individual identity. The impact of technology on individual culture is based on this hypothesis. The impact of technology is spot-lighted with substantial examples and evidences under the discussion below. Discussion The effect of technology has many positive aspects in human lives. Technology is accountable for various changes that are featured in the present time. Technology empowers individual abilities and also extends human capacities. Most of the items that are used by a person today like car, eye-glass, phone and computer are technologically advanced items that give people wings to extend the natural capacities. These items are very useful in day to day life of a person and without certain machines human beings find it very difficult to survive. This was not how people used to feel a few decades ago. Technology has entered in human lives in a very broad-way. There are certainly numerous positive features because of which technologically advanced equipments are so easily acceptable by people, however there are certain affects of technology in human life. There is a drastic change that has been noticed in the culture. People are unaware about the changes they are going through in respect to their identity, ethics and culture. The influence of technology is very much visible in the behaviour of an individual. The most important behaviour noticed in most of the people is that they are becoming unsocial. People using computers and social networking websites love the virtual world and get distracted from the original world (Armstrong, 1998, p.87). Massive use of internet has completely changed the way people do business or get their news information or watch movies or converse with others. These changes also affect the inter-personal relationships in people. These examples clearly signify the changes an individual is going through with time and with advancement in technology. There are certain theories that define how these changes are being incorporated in an individual. Standard shifts and change in individual identity is highly required in order to make progress. There has been a study by different mathematicians, philosophers and scientists regarding the development of technology and impact of the same in human life and culture. Reports have been made stating that the society is turning out be a rule-based society which is not going correct. There can be adverse effects due to this kind of progression. It is very much required to shift the dependency on technology in a drastic level to a model-based society. The dependency on technologically advanced equipments is bringing the cultural and ethical value less. People are turning out be unsocial day-by-day. There is no peace and stability anywhere around the globe. This not a way to progress but it is a reverse way from real progress, there is continuous downfall of ethnicity and moral values. This theory has been brought out by Barry Kort after a discreet study on culture and ethics. There are also some scientific evidences which have been proposed by Kuhn, it says that one of the concepts developed in an individual due maximum involvement in new technology is to take things for granted rather than sort-out problems and work in a positive atmosphere to reduce those risks. These were some important examples and evidences that describe about the theory of change of paradigm requirement for development of human culture and ethnicity. The second important theory for impact of technology in culture is Theorizing individual identity and technology. Apart from the above mentioned theory there are other modes of theorizing this topic about the impact of technology on culture. There are two other theories mentioned by Kuhn i.e. instrumentalism and critical theory. Instrumental perspectives of technology are summarized by historicism, essentialism and social generalization. The significance of development of technology was to reduce the effort of an individual and enhance the capacity of individual strength. This has changed a lot with a direct effect on the perception of people as seen today, Tools that were made to serve the purpose of an individual are taking control of their mind and people are more prone to tools and equipments instead of their own strength. Due to this there are some distinct changes that have been observed like being over-exited on small instances, irrational mind and body behaviour, respond to virtual world with more effect than to real world. Muhammad Betz has an observation which shows the effect of communication technology on the characteristics of a person because according to him communication technology and an individual is in a flux because it affects the psychology, physic and characteristics of an individual. As per studies by various research analysts it is seen that technology can delimit human powers, implantation of technology will not make humans super humans. Hence this theory consists of substantial evidences and arguments to show that culture and ethnicity gets affected by advancement of technology. There is one other important theory that deals with the nature of change that humans are going through over a prolonged period of time by rapid use of technology. There are certain observations that have been made though it’s very conflicting but most commonly observed in people (Luppicini, 2012, p.48). The rapid use of technology for an example computers lead to decrease in emotions, empathy and willing to adopt society. It has been observed that the brain transforms certain signals extensively like getting involved in social media, watching brutal videos and checking news headlines that carry vulgar news. Subject of reality does not have much impact of interest in the human brain (Hall, Evans and Nixon, 2013, p.17). Due to this kind of psychological change the value of culture is growing down and individual ethics is at a toss. There are many observations that throw light on the changes that are happening slowly and gradually in human beings as a result of random use of technologically advanced tools in daily life. Use of advanced technology has certain positive aspects in the educational sector. The mode of education is changing day by day this is making knowledge outsourcing easy and accessible to everyone. Due to computers and internet there are many ways to understand and implement ideas and overcome challenges that were previously there to reach to every human and deliver knowledge. Advancement in technology has made lives of people easy and comfortable there is no doubt in that however certain unseen changes that could effect, has been brought out with significant arguments, examples and evidences (Rutherford, 1998, p.75). Tools should be used as it is necessary but human should not be controlled by tools it should always be vice-versa. Culture, ethics and identity along with social welfare will always be there with proper understanding of tools and by limiting the amount of use in our daily life. Apart from the theories that have been discussed, there are certain other studies that have been done in order to inculcate the usage of advanced technologies based on gender, ethnicity and identity (Beard, 2004, p.164). There is an observation made by research analysts in various colleges and schools and report says that there is a difference on usage of tools by different gender groups. To be precise about the usage of technology like the usage of computer and the internet is different by the different sex groups. As per observations it has been found that male students use internet mostly for entertainment purpose rather than learning and academic purposes. Males use internet to surf you-tube for videos, Facebook and other social media services (Wood and Smith, 2004, p.21). The Females on the other hand use internet for various purposes, they use internet for surfing, for online studies, to make spread-sheets also for entertainment purposes. An online survey shows that women use internet and computer more than male groups in colleges (Dubey, 2008, p.90). At workstations in office also women are more prone to use of computer than men. The average time women spend with computers is drastically more compared to men. Similarly, use of cell phones has a discreet difference in men and women. In the modern society women are more prone to cell phones than men. Women on an average spend two-three hours of their time using cell phones. This shows that technology has a great impact on gender along with culture and ethnicity on humans. There is one more example to support this argument. Games are played more by men rather than women. Men spend about two hours of their productive time in playing games and other entertainment mediums unlike women. This show how there is a difference in use of technology between two different groups of gender. According to Larson, Moneta and Duckett, 1996 a research was conducted and it has been found that Girls are more emotionally attached to family compared to boys (George, 2006, p.35). The impact of technology can have adverse effects on Girls as they are attached to social networking websites with emotional closeness. Good quality relationships influence girls more than boys. On the other end boys are also affected because of random access of videos that involve violence. Boys tend to be distracted and they in turn can get involved in anti-social activities (Strinati, 2004, p.61). This is a threat to culture and ethnicity. There is also significant evidence that shows the impact of technology on ethnicity and identity. In many observations it has been found that person from different location have different abilities and ideologies regarding usage of technological tools in daily lives. For better understanding of this argument there is an example taken for reference which shows that Western culture and Asian state people use computers and internet in a massive way to communicate. There are also people from different entities who do not use internet or computers for mass communications. Use of land phones and simple cell phones are their main medium for communication (Gay, Hall, Janes and Madsen, 2013, p.34). This shows that there can be absolute difference in people of different entities regarding the usage of technologically advanced mediums. There has been subsequent observations that highlights the key factors how technology has impact on gender, ethnicity and identity in a distinguished way. It differs from place to place, person to person and male to female. The usage of technical tools is more into teenagers rather than kids and adults. The different modes of communication are computers, cell phones, smart phones, i-pad and various other devices which enhance the capacity of an individual and empower them (Berr, 2011, p.54). Adoption of advanced technology into various mode of communication is very prominent in the modern culture and it has significant importance in ethnicity, gender and culture of an individual. There is an observation about the effect of technology in ethnicity, for an example black males and females have been reported to more ties to important adults than white males or females. For better understand about lowering the difference and mentoring there are some important things to be noticed. Meaning of ethnicity can be considered as cultural context and difference between racial and ethnic identity. These factors if kept in mind differences can be reduced. Advancement in technology has significant impact on various factors as discussed. Conclusion Based on the facts and example mentioned in the discussion it is quite clear that technology has various impacts on culture, ethnicity and gender. The most important part is culture. Technology provides humans the opportunity to enhance their abilities and skills but it also fades away the personality that humans possess leading to be un-social. There are many theories which reveal the impact of technology on human life. This essay also includes some examples that give a detail idea how technology can make human life worse and the remedies that needs to be incorporated in order to maintain peace and tranquillity in society. An individual should not be tending to tools that can lose faith on him. Advancement of technology is definitely required for certain works that can make life easy and comfortable, but it should be used in a limited way so that culture, ethnics and identity of an individual can stay intact. Computers and inter-net should be used in such a way that it can help teenagers to gain knowledge instead of social networking which is less required for teenagers. Human should be more prone to real world instead of the virtual world of technology. References Armstrong, T., 1998. Modernism, Technology, and the Body: A Cultural Study. London: Cambridge University Press. Beard, J., 2004. Managing Impressions with Information Technology. London: Greenwood Publishing. Berr, D., 2011. The Philosophy of Software: Code and Mediation in the Digital Age. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Dubey, A., 2008. Modernity and the Problem of Cultural Identity. London: Northern Book Centre. Gay, P., Hall, S., Janes, L., and Madsen, A., 2013. Doing Cultural Studies: The Story of the Sony Walkman. London: Sage. George, S., 2006. Religion and Technology in the 21st Century. New Delhi: IGI. Hall, S., Evans, J., and Nixon, S., 2013. Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. London: Sage. Luppicini, R., 2012. Handbook of Research on Technoself. London: Information Science Research. Rutherford, J., 1998. Identity: Community, Culture, Difference. London: Lawrence and Wishart. Strinati, D., 2004. An Introduction to Theories of Popular Culture. 2nd ed. London: Routledge. Wood, A., and Smith, M., 2004. Online Communication: Linking Technology, Identity, & Culture: Linking Technology, Identity, and Culture. London: Routledge. Read More