Social Shaping Perspective - Ruth Schwartz Cowans - Essay Example

SOCIAL SHAPING PERSPECTIVE INTRODUCTION: Generating outputs via inputs by means of machinery, processes and strategic managements is referred to as technology. The technological changes and the inputs for those changes are developed on the grounds of cultural and social conditions a society faces and shape the behavior and values of that society (Cohen, Kennedy, & Perrier, 2000). Reviewing at the role of technology in a society, the attention of the analysts and common men often move towards the huge infrastructures, speedy machinery, ease of functionality, wider reach via communication tools, trendy automobiles, more comprehensive and smart gadgets and home appliances and obviously a huge low cost women and child skilled labor positively participating in economic activities (Granovetter, & Swedberg, 2001; Smelser, 2013). Although, the spectrum of thought is wider but often vague the other fold of the impact of technology on society that is revolutionary changes in the routine life and home activities (Smelser, & Swedberg, 2010). The below presented paper has discussed that how the social shaping perspective helps to comprehend the implications of change in technology at social level and organizational level. The paper starts with the description of the social shaping of technology and its general impact on society. The paper then discussed its implications at organizational level followed with its impact at social level. To cover that broad aspect of the study, the work of Ruth Schwartz Cowans has been studied and reflected thoroughly in the paper. The critique of technological determinism has been also discussed highlight the work of MacKenzie and Wacjman. SOCIAL SHAPING PERSPECTIVE The perspective of the Social Shaping of Technology (SST) occurred with a move in conduction of the social and economic researches on the development of technology and the technology itself. This discovers and evaluates the content and substantiality of the technologies and the entire innovation process associated with it. The social shaping of technology has appeared with an assessment and evaluation of the dominant oratory of technological acceptance (Leydesdorff, 1995). This depicts technology as tool to attain the change in the organizations irrespective of the complexities in the implementation and execution of several different technologies, in addition to that the recurrent failures in order to deliver the forecasted and preferred outcomes. The research over Social Shaping of Technology examines the different approaches into which the institutional, social, economic and cultural factors take shape, this involves i. The rate and the direction of the innovation ii. Form of the technology (that includes relevant substance of technological practices and artifacts) iii. The ending result of technological change for several diverse groups existing in the society) (Gerst, Bunduchi, Williams, 2005) Social and organizational implications of technological change: The overview of the several past researches and practices pointed out that the impact of change in technology can be wide categorized in the two general areas (Cowan, 1976). These are: a. Activities executed by the government b. Nature of work The activities executed by the government immensely reflect on the organization and distribution of the society, changes in the processes of different types of work. The nature and characteristics of work in the context of technology change is related with the speed of the work, a much stiffer work coupling, increased independence over staff workers and professional along with increased interdependence for operations workers (Giddens, Duneier, & Appelbaum, 1996). It is also related with the strengthening the control and command over people by managers and strong command over the jobs for administrative workers and clerical along with the flexibility in the working processes in the organizations (Perry and Kraemer, 1993). The study of social shaping perspective will help the people to gauge the impacts and repercussions of change in technology over society and organizations. The study will help us to examining the gradual change in the perspective of people and its reflection on their lives. The advancements in technology have not just impacted the organizations and working scenarios (Jensen, 1993). It reflects over the household and domestic life of the people. Before industrialization and exposure of technology, the family was an essential and fundamental social unit (Abbate, 1999). The people at that time were self-sustaining. They used to produce and process the things they need. The women of the families used to perform many tasks. However, with the prevailing industrialization the family structure has been altered, the focus that was previously on the production has shifted to the marketplaces. Further, the social functions that the families used to perform have been reduced. Now, it has been observed that the modern families are in a dilemma that is because the rapid increase in industrial technology has either eased or eliminated former functions of the family. Consequently, this resulted in the rise of role anxiety in women followed with the increased rate of divorce and increased in number of women in the labor market. The change in technology in the household appliances has put a great impact on the structure and organization of American Households. The study of social shaping perspective will help in determining the change in patterns over a period. A routine survey conducted and published by the Ladies Home Journal capitulate the instantaneous impression that the time between the ending of World War I and the starting of depression has seen the most radical changes in the work patterns of household. If we closely examine and learnt the phenomena of gradual social shaping, we would be able to come across with many examples. Traditionally, ironing was considered as the most terrible household chore especially in summers. It was difficult to do ironing as the irons at that time were too heavy to handle. The change and advancements in technology have brought electric irons that have made the life of the women much easier and reduce the time that previously consumed in performing the task of ironing. With the passage of time, the use of washing machines has risen, though the use of washing machine did not reduce the time that were consumed on the laundry of the households. However, it has significantly made the task easier and has lessen a great portion of drudgery that was previously related with the washing day. Then, with the practice of washing and laundry advancements, the concept of personal hygiene has transformed, this has been seen in the era of 10290’s. The emphasis on the transformation and use of the bathrooms, and the fitting and fixtures of the bathrooms have started to rise followed with the much emphasis on the use of bathroom accessories. With that, the heating system of the household has also transformed. The homes then transformed with the installation of the central heating system. In respect to that the social shaping perspective will help us to understand the patterns of the changes over a period. Here, in context with the discussion the new acquire habits of an average housewife is difficult to calculate, but by thoroughly examining we get to know that the previously prevailing practices of household have been replaced the changes in the technology. It is yet to figure out that the technology changes have an overall impact on saving of the cost by utilizing the technology. With the study of the social shaping perspective, we can understand the pattern of technological innovation over a certain period. This also has reflected the change in technology in the marketing of food. New innovative products have been launched to facilitate the customers and to generate their needs out of it. An analysis of the change shows that there have been noticeable structural changes observed in the workforce. These changes have raised the load of the work and also the job description. Now, it can be easily seen that new job positions have created that requires new skills and attributes to perform the tasks at the job. These jobs do not burden the person physically. However, it takes the same time as required by the previous jobs. Consequently, new ideologies have been developed that reinforced the new pattern of behaviors. The social shaping perspective helps us to see an analysis of social and economic transformation in a broad way. In the context to paper industrialization of housework by Ruth Schwartz Cowans, the significant alteration in the structure and framework of the part of the household sector has been observed. We can see that over period the labor force in the form of household workers and unpaid and paid servant have disappeared. Now, the entire job has been imposed on the shoulders of housewife. Here the question arises, have the departure of the servants generated the need of new technology or it is a new technology that has instigated the disappearance of the servants. Further, it has been observed that the major technological changes have been done in the form of bringing innovation in the lives of the people. The social shaping perspective helped in predicting the change in the pattern of the household work (McCarthy, & Wright, 2004). It also indicates that the entire technological advancement is related with the two remarkable signs of the social change. These are the divorce rate in the society and the rate that determines the labor force participation of married women. However, the link between the advancement in the technology and labor force participation of married women seems bit uncertain but the socioeconomic elements that relate strongly with the employment of married women is the income of their husbands (Warschauer, 2004). By understanding and implementing the perspective of the social change, we can see the pattern of advancement of the technology and its association with the people. This can be seen in the form of change in living patterns of the household women, and not just in the household patterns but also in the massive development in their needs and wants over a period of time. Just in a century massive social evolution is seen (Goodings, Locke, & Brown, 2007). The social shaping perspective lead us to learn the trend that follows the change over a period, it helps in depicting the pattern of growth and enhancement in the industrialization processes. The growth and expansion of the industrialization in the context of technological reflect on the growth of society. The social shaping examines the transformation of the society in this manner. In general, it describes the growth of society in relation to the economy and the impact of manufacturing industry over it. The advancement of technology can be deeply and thoroughly seen in the era of 18th century, this was the time of the industrial revolution. The family system has lost its significance in economic terms. This results in the massive decline of the skills that were prevailing as a tradition in the society. A great number of artisans went to the verge and lost their work. The rapid increase in the technology and its spread at a great level have transformed the culture of the people. It has affected the nature in its way and has redefined the factors that shape up the economy. A major impact has seen in the development of urbanization and a decrease in the rural living. The industrial growth has backed the growth and development of the cities. Resultantly, with the expansion of industrialization, people have shifted to the industrial areas of the cities in order to get the employment opportunities (Huysman, & Wulf, 2004). The implications of technology have deeply transformed the modes of life. This involves the major aspects of technology in the form of family, morality, religion, marriage and communication (Elzinga, & Jamison, 1995). The advancements have reflected over the divorce instances and unstable relationships. The innovations have taken over religion and on the social and moral values of people. It has created the need of the people that did not exist previously. This all has bought a massive social change in the world especially in the 19th century (Vergragt, 1988). The advent of technology has bought many disturbances and instabilities which are seen in the prevailing social environment (Webster, 1991). Further, it has created a disequilibrium and imbalance in the organization of the previous order of the society (Goodings, Locke, & Brown, 2007). The critique of technological determinism: The assessment of the technological acceptance underpins the fact that the perspective of social shaping came out from a venerable analysis of basic types of technological acceptance (Edge, 1998). This detailed that: i. The nature and characteristic of technologies and the overall direction of change were predetermined, or it was unproblematic (this may be because of any “economic imperative or some inner “technical logic”) ii. The technology had an essential and determinate impact on the work. It also affects the economic life and the entire society on the whole. Resultantly, the technological brings the social and organizational change. It was connected with the disagreement to the ideologies of the technological imperatives that were predominantly prevailing in the British government and the industry in the era of late 1970’s and early 1980’s. This recommended that some paths of the technological change be unavoidable. On the other hand, the Social Shaping Technology was not only a reply to the public expression of technology but it has been also condemned the approach the technology were persuaded by several academics (Beaver, 2002). The social shaping perspective illustrates a wide flow of social and economic analysis. Although the dissimilarities between the traditions have been highlighted, but there still have room that reflects a wide exchange among the several different schools of thoughts (Lievrouw, & Livingstone, 2002). With quite differing emphasis, these advancements to technology have recognized that the content and form of technology are very significant, and they are agreeable to the social analysis, and it also requires social analysis. They have also highlighted and made the innovation process problematic (Edge, 1988). As a consequence, the innovation is perceived as an uncertain paradoxical and contradictory process (Warschauer, 2004). The process is not only a rational technical way of problem solving; it also entails the political and economic processes in order to build the coalitions based on mutual interests (Sawyer, 2001; McCarthy, & Wright, 2004). These alliances may be among the supplier firms, potential users, several technologists and regulators of funding bodies. The coalition requires necessary resources along with technical expertise based on certain visions or concepts of those technologies that are unrealized yet (Williams and Edge, 1996). CONCLUSION: Installing the technology and acknowledging the outcomes is totally different for home as compared to the workplace and industries. We often listen to the excerpts, technology has made the life easier, technological innovations have changed the definition of social life and life is paced up by the means of technology, so and so but matter of fact is that the changes are skeptical and surprising. 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