Social, Political, and Cultural Impacts of Science and Technology on Society - Research Paper Example

Social, political, and cultural impacts of science and technology on society Social, political, and cultural impacts of science and technology on society Introduction Society is currently at crossroads due to political, social, and cultural impacts caused by advancement of science and technology. Most indicators and studies of science and technology impacts focus only on economic impacts. Although studying about economic impacts caused by advancement of science and technology is essential, this shows only a small portion of the overall impacts, which extends to political, social, and cultural spheres to the society. Bell’s argument supports the view that most studies are currently focusing on innovation’s process and not on its impacts to the society. Most of the traditional studies are still focusing narrowly on how to make new things rather than whether these innovations are desirable or necessary to the society (Bell, 2006). This paper purports to discuss the political, social, and cultural impacts of science and technology to the society. Political impacts Political impacts do with the mode in which science and technology advancement influences policies and policy-makers (Zeleza, 2004). This includes the attitudes and interests of administrators, politicians, and the public towards an issue of community interest towards science and technology, the actions of the public, and individuals’ involvement in science and technology solutions (Bulger, 2005). We are currently living in a digital world whereby science and technology advancement is changing processing, ownership, and usage of information. This revolution causes both positive and negative impacts to the political status of many countries. The key to success of any country’s democracy is a well-informed public. Science and technology advancement has improved the nature of intellectual property rights and that of copyrights (Zeleza, 2004). In future, intellectual property rights’ harmonization and biodiversity conservation are going to improve due to technological advancement. The fundamental political development in most countries is highly influenced by science and technology advancement since governments are able to distribute political, social, and economical information to its society (Cutcliffe, 2007). In order for a country to experience a friendly democracy, the society must have full access to basic economic and political information. Advancement of technology such as social media networks enables people to share political information and ideas with other people (Bulger, 2005). Science and technology advancement is making it easier and possible to distribute political information beyond place and time reaching to a wider society. Therefore, science and technology advancement is a vital strategy to shape political stability of a country since information is used for many purposes starting from propaganda to political enlightenment. However, technology advancement has also led to political instability in many countries. For instance, many countries are now using computerized voting systems. Some of the politicians end up hacking these voting systems and make amendments to the election’s results so that they can forcefully win the positions they are vying. This result of unfair elections, which in turns leads to post election violence in most countries, causing loss of innocent lives and property damage hence negatively affecting the social and economic status of that country. Additionally, technology seems not to be value-neutral. Some technological advancement tends to serve a more open democratic system than others do (Cutcliffe, 2007). Therefore, in order to ensure friendly democracy, governments should ensure that the development strategies of information technology implemented in the countries supports democratic processes. Cultural impacts Science and technology’s cultural impact refers to what is frequently known as public understanding of technology and science. These impacts include four types of knowledge, which are know why, know what, know who, and know how (Bell, 2006). More specifically, science and technology cultural impacts refer to the way science and technology advancement changes the way the society understands reality and ideas. In addition, it also includes individuals’ practical and intellectual skills, interests and attitudes, and beliefs and values. We are currently living in a technologically driven world where people anticipate having variety of means to advance their communication with friends at any moment (Bulger, 2005). The ability of creating relationships founded exclusively on shared interests and mutual understanding has fed the phenomena of current social media. Traditionally, people used to meet physically and discuss essential aspects pertaining society’s development or share thoughts on certain issue. However, in today’s world, the culture of meeting in coffee cafes to discuss certain matters is transforming to meeting online using social media networks such as Twitter and Facebook or through forums (Cutcliffe, 2007). Currently, the easy access to real-time information is resulting to a situation such that, everybody around you is using either a Smartphone or a computer to see what is taking place in the world hence providing a connectedness feeling (Cutcliffe, 2007). Does this connectedness feeling and easy access to information bring consequences to our culture? There are many risks and possibilities, realities and myths caused by the current digital world. The main insight of science and technology cultural impact in today’s wired world is the way people have changed their interaction with others (Bell, 2006). It is likely to found individuals in the same room or the same workplace each viewing a different screen and chatting with a variety of people online. This has highly changed the way people interact with others. Instead of the traditional way of meeting in coffee rooms, people are nowadays are meeting online (Bulger, 2005). Additionally, people are currently establishing relationships with technology instead of building relations with people. The individual often hide when they prefer discussing their difficult issues via messages than physically meeting to discuss these issues (Cutcliffe, 2007). This is because people believe that sending a message is more convenient and reduces the time wasted on physical meeting through sending online messages. People are using technology to discuss the most crucial and sensitive issues, hence technology cannot emphasize or feel experiences such as disappointments or death (Bell, 2006). It is essential to look at the information we aid to deliver when sending these online messages. Lastly, communication via social media networks is highly transforming the way individuals communicate with each other and how we think about ourselves. People seem to give maximum attention to technology messages, hence leading to isolation (Goldman, 2009). The current digital generation does not have time to talk or listen to other people due to constant notifications from emails, Twitter, and Facebook. Understanding the future of grave sociology and the way science and technology impacts the normal life highly affects the values of a society (Cutcliffe, 2007). The ease technology connectedness and online communication are affecting both local and global culture since the current digital generation prefers to communicate via social media networks rather than in person. Social impacts Science and technology have highly changed the knowledge people have on welfare, behaviours, activities, and practices. The social impacts caused by science and technology advancement concerns the quality of life and well-being of people (Goldman, 2009). Science and technology are currently changing peoples’ customs and life habits such as food, sports, work, and sexuality. Science and technology advancement has also improved the way people do business and advanced production of goods. In the agricultural sector, people have witnessed improvements in gradual basis. For instance, when it comes to animal husbandry, farmers have changed from crossing and selection of artificial insemination technologies as well as embryo transplant. Science and technology advancement has highly improved people’s health in two great promises, which include immune-prophylaxis and immune-diagnosis (Bell, 2006). Immune-diagnosis enables detection of diseases at their early stages hence making medical treatment less expensive and complex. On the other hand, immune-prophylaxis has led to eradication of many diseases such as smallpox and polio (Cutcliffe, 2007). Despite these positive social impacts, science and technology also have a number of negative social impacts to the society. Advancement of science and technology has led to manufacture of nuclear weapons, which most terrorists groups used in their missions. Most of these weapons are powerful to cause deaths of millions of people within a short period and emit harmful gases to the atmosphere causing ozone depletion. Additionally, the application of genetic engineering as well as cell biology brings health implications relating to cloning and eugenics (Goldman, 2009). Science and technology have also led to the transformations that change definitions of the “human” and “nature” in relation to new biomedical practices, from prenatal technologies to sexual reassignment (Bell, 2006). Long-term application of these chemicals leads to diseases such as cancer. The current use of social networks has led sexual sexism. The look of some of the Facebook friends’ photos and behaviours is sexually attractive to others, hence causing sexual abuse in the society. Obviously, sexual stereotypes are currently available on all social networks with researches indicating that 90% of their contents contain pornographic materials (Cutcliffe, 2007). The use of social network has brought negative impacts to our society particularly the youths. This is because network users are now able to watch and downloading phonographic materials. Although some of these materials are not free, once an individual buys one, he or she distribute it to his or her friends via social media networks such as Facebook (Goldman, 2009). Conclusion In conclusion, the today’s society is currently at crossroads due to political, social, and cultural impacts caused by advancement of science and technology. Science and technology will keep on advancing at a faster rate, bringing extra political, social, and cultural impacts to our societies (Bell, 2006). The most essential thing for scientists and technicians is to ensure that these scientific and technological advances benefit the society as a whole and do not bring negative impacts to its well-being. For instance, even if nuclear weapons are purposely for maintaining peace in our countries, terrorist groups use them to accomplish their missions, hence causing deaths and damage and loss of property (Cutcliffe, 2007). Other concerns about nuclear weapons include the safe disposal of the radioactive wastes and environmental damages caused by the nuclear radiations. Governments should ensure that the use of science and technology brings positive impacts rather than negatively affecting the society. References Bell, D. (2006). Science, technology and culture. Maidenhead, England: Open University Press. Bulger, R. E. (2005). Societys choices: Social and ethical decision making in biomedicine. Washington, D.C: Nat. Acad. Press. Cutcliffe, S. H. (2007). New worlds, new technologies, new issues. Bethlehem u.a: Lehigh Univ. Press u.a. Goldman, S. L. (2009). Science, technology, and social progress. Bethlehem: Lehigh University Press. Zeleza, T. (2003). In search of modernity: Science and technology in Africa. Trenton, NJ [u.a.: Africa World Press. Read More