Technological Determinism, Social Constructionism, and Social Shaping - Assignment Example

1. Introduction: This report looks at three attempts to explain the relationship between technology and society. The technology is related to the society in depth, both are interdependent. The development of technology leads to development of society and vice versa. So it becomes important to converse on the relationship of technology and society by dividing them to various groups of discussions. The study is carried out under the three categories named as technological determinism, social constructionism and social shaping. Quotes considered for the discussion are given below: Quote A: Japanese robophilia is a futurist cult without the violence. Its core belief is that robots are marching benignly and inexorably into our homes and lives, where they will play central a role later this century as the internet and the combustion engine do now. Leo Lewis, The Times February 7, 2009 Quote B: Therefore, although user behaviour can be steered through material artefacts, humans are not powerless victims subjected to the whims of technological systems. Rather, the actual operation of technologies implies a process of mutual shaping between human actors and technical objects (Dubbeld, 2006:190-191) Quote C: In a strange way we have the Cold War to thank for most of the post war advances in electronics and communication. The arms and space race between the USA and the USSR spurred many radical innovations especially in the area of miniaturisation. Quote D: In no more than seven years users of text messaging have transformed this product from a technologically designed concept that mobile network operators were reluctant to promote to a user driven service generating impressive, initially unplanned, revenues for the industry. Vincent, J. (2003-04). Humans [online] Available from: http://www.surrey.ac.uk/dwrc/Publications/ Quote E: In technology, whatever can be done will be done. We cant stop these changes. We cant hide from them. Instead, we must focus on getting ready for them. (Grove, A. (1999) Only the Paranoid Survive, New York: Doubleday) Andrew Grove was Intel Chief Executive Officer. 2. Technological Determinism: Technological determinism is an assumption that supposes that a societys technology makes the development of its social organization and civilizing standards. It is more precisely a generalization with respect to the variations in the chronology. The theory is the adaptation to the change without changing the entire set up. Inherently the technology is always biased with the science as its shaping factor. “Technological determinism focuses on causality - cause and effect relationships - a focus typically associated with scientific explanation.” (Chandler 2000). The investigation of relations technology has to identify the complexity of separating origin and after effects, and also the causes for those results. The technological determinism usually exhibits and explains a single cause or inconsistency. The arguments made in the technological determinism are too sturdy and satisfactory for attracting the people towards the idea put forward; thus resulting in a strong descriptive and analytical theory. The technology determinism finds its importance in this modern world of rapid advancements of science and technology. Economic and government shaping of technological innovations add to the technological determinism. The influence of gender in the technological determinism is of considerable importance. The traditions are much evolved and adapted in affinity with the technological adverse. The quotes D & E are examples for technological determinism. The quote E says: “In technology, whatever can be done will be done. We cant stop these changes. We cant hide from them. Instead, we must focus on getting ready for them. (Grove 1999).” Andrew Grove was Intel Chief Executive Officer. The above quote explains that the alterations seen in the technological aspects cannot be resisted as it will affect us in one or the other way once or more. Instead of going farther away from the change, we should face it and accept it with suitable revision of our social makeup. The quote explains the view that the only thing needed during the technological innovations is just to accept it and use it for our convenience and requirement. The best mode is to develop a newer circumstance based on the developed techniques so that the practice becomes a part of our social habit and welfare. Even if we try to ignore the advent, we will be exposed to it once at least which cannot be opposed. The quote D tells: “In no more than seven years users of text messaging have transformed this product from a technologically designed concept that mobile network operators were reluctant to promote to a user driven service generating impressive, initially unplanned, revenues for the industry. (Vincent 2003-04).” The quote stated above focuses on the acceptance of the technology of text messaging across the globe. It explains that even the service providers did not expect that the technology of text messaging would be given a position of client motivated service. Actually the text messaging is a great source of profit for the service provider and is the most common communication mode among the customers. In this quote Vincent, J is trying to emphasise on the adaptation of the customers of mobile phones to the technology of text messaging. He explains about the influence of it on the users and how much pace and depth of control has occurred in that case. 3. Social Constructionism: Social constructionism is a term in close connection with the inter dependence of technology and society in this rapidly developing scientific era. The concept is not merely theoretical and descriptive; it depends on the views, ideas and approaches of various factors of a society about a technique resulting in a well built concept about the technique. “Social constructionism stems from epistemological position - not an explanatory theory. It is an approach to psychology (and other bodies of knowledge) which focuses on meaning and power.” (What is Social Constructionism? n.d.). It concentrates on sense and supremacy because its epistemological position states that sense and supremacy are the factors which can be demanded for proper explanation. It is called ‘social constructionism’ due to the fact that it aims to explore the method in which the trends are socially built. The definitions of various known movements are the examples explaining the social constructionism. If we consider the term war, the explanations can be introduced in entirely different modes. It can be said as fighting physically using weapons. In contrast it can be used to explain the mutual aggression using ideas and concepts for and against. The people in the social constructionism identify all the phenomena in the same method of contrast identifications. The illustrating quotes for the social constructionism are quotes B & C as identified by analysis are kept below: “Therefore, although user behaviour can be steered through material artefacts, humans are not powerless victims subjected to the whims of technological systems. Rather, the actual operation of technologies implies a process of mutual shaping between human actors and technical objects. (Dubbeld 2006:190-191)” says quote B. The quote explains the power and capabilities of human beings. Dubbeld explains that no technological innovation can shake the power of human beings. He identifies that only a shaping is possible with a joint relationship between the human beings and technical facts. The quote is recognized as related to the social constructionism, because it explains the sense and supremacy which defines social constructionism in exact simple words. It is explained very clearly that the mutual impact of human beings and technical factors depends mainly on the sense and supremacy of both sectors. “In a strange way we have the Cold War to thank for most of the post war advances in electronics and communication. The arms and space race between the USA and the USSR spurred many radical innovations especially in the area of miniaturisation.” is given as quote C. The development and flourish in the field of electronics and communication prior to the cold war is a realistic social constructionism feature. This led to a newer war other than the destructive physical and chemical fighting; which is an advanced definition of aggression given by the modern world. The quote evidently proves that the social constructionism is seen in the modern world in connection with the sense and supremacy of various technologies and countries of the world. The countries started a silent war of development of technology in the field of electronics and communication related all other fields as well. Thus the social constructionism seemed to be in full strength across the globe. 4. Social Shaping: Social shaping of technology exhibits “a positive role in integrating natural and social science concerns; in offering a greater understanding of the relationship between scientific excellence, technological innovation and economic and social well-being; and in broadening the policy agenda.” (Williams & Edge 1996). The approach in which various collections of people implicated amid a technology produces a different awareness of that particular technology itself. The normal and social anxieties are combined to absorb the real sense of technical brilliance in the newer innovations of technology in connection with the public comfort and rules. The technological thrive has been seen in past many years accompanied with the social advancements as well. This results in the social shaping accordingly with least difficulty. Williams and Edge identified the social shaping as choices innate in the design of entity objects and arrangements and the route or course of the improvement launches. The mouldings of the new advents in relation with the social and cultural aspects pose a tough task as a whole. The people should get up with the actual perspectives of technological advancements in a social sense of advantage. The technology should always come out from the revealing of a sense that is settled before; else the result will be a number of diverging paths from the fact itself. If there arises many routes from a single factor, it ends with numerous abstracts at the end. This leads to different impacts on the different social groups due to a single technical trend. Thus, a social shaping finds its status in the relationship and interdependence of technology and society. The quote A recognized with regard to the social shaping is explained below with specific reasons of justification: “Japanese robophilia is a futurist cult without the violence. Its core belief is that robots are marching benignly and inexorably into our homes and lives, where they will play as central a role later this century as the internet and the combustion engine do now. (Lewis 2009).” Robophilia is extensively used as the single word for the fear of robots. The advent of robots in the industrial field led to the up rise of a non violent organization named as Japanese robophilia i.e. social shaping has occurred in connection with the technological development in the field of robotics. That group believes that the robots will replace the whole working class with ease by the end of the century similar to that of internet and combustion engine. The quote explains the impact of technological advancements in the social and cultural sides of societies. The robotic innovations have much influenced the people in Japan that they even made a new group among themselves. 5. Conclusion: The report presented describes in precise about the relationship of the technology and society. The inter dependence of the technical innovations and social setup is explained under the heads of Technological determinism, Social constructionism and Social shaping. The report clearly portrays the various facts about the relation with the usage of quotes from various individuals working in the field. The adaptation of the society to the ever changing scientific technologies are recognized which shows the real life effects happening due to the relationship between the society and technology. The shaping of economy, habits, social setup, government etc are the outcomes of the inter dependency. The report as a whole identifies the build up of society depending on the technology as well as the growth of newer techniques with reliance on the social life of the people which clearly explains the acceptance of both with ease and pace. 6. Bibliography Chandler, D. (2000). Technological or Media Determinism: Reductionism. Available from: http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/tecdet/tdet03.html What is Social Constructionism?: Epistemology (Not Theory). (n.d.). Available from: http://www.psy.dmu.ac.uk/michael/soc_con_disc.htm Williams, R & Edge, D. (1996). What is the Social Shaping of the Technology?, Research Policy, vol.25, pp.856-899, The RCSS Technology. Available from: http://www.rcss.ed.ac.uk/technology/SSTRP.html Read More