Sociology 302 Midterm 1

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Technology (Westrum)

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consists of those materials objects, techniques, and knowledge that allow humans to transform and control the inanimate world

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Things

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Ex. Tools, roads, medicine, etc.

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Techniques

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Ex. Farming, Painting, etc.

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Abstract Knowledge

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Ex. Physics, math, language, etc.

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Social Reality

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shared preception of beliefs and norms

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social institution

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formalized and generally understand organized system of values, beliefs, norms, and roles regarding a society's basic problems or functions

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Traditional Societies

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tend to have a very simple division of labor and with it very simple division of labor and with it very simple technologies and simple social institutions

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Mechanical Solidarity

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a type of social cohesion that exists among small, homogenous, preindustrial societies in which uniformly and the lack of specialization and interdependent labor force to work. the solidarity in this case is based on similarities.

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modern society

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have a very complex division of labor that requires

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organic solidarity

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a type of social cohesion that exists among large, heterogenous societies in which specializations and interdependency within the division of labor binds people to one another. The solidarity in this case is based on complimentary differences

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Small populations are _________.

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more homogeneous

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Large populations are _________.

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more heterogeneous

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commensal

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cooperative relationship between units (people) based on their shared similarities

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Symbiotic

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cooperative relationship between units (people) based on their complementary differences.

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organization

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unavoidable circumstances that individuals are interdependent and that the collections of individuals must cope with concrete environmental conditions

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Technology (Duncan)

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Set of techniques employed by a population to gain sustenance from its environment and to facilitate the organization of sustenance producing activity

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aggregate

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a simple or random collection of like things

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unit character

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population's shared response to a shared environment

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(Human) Population

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A collection of humans that are either organized or in the process of being organized

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biophysical environment

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is the existing environment that humans face independent of their symbolic constructs

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sociocultural environment

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is environment humans construct thru interactions with each other. It consists of both physical and symbolic constructs.

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material cultural environment

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made up of our material culture is derived from our physical and social interaction

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symbolic cultural environment

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which is an environment made up of ideas, symbols, and meaning

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Environment

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All that is external to and potentially influential on a population under observation, including other social systems

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complexity

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some of the technologies we rely on are so complex that when they fail our institutions are incapable of functioning without them

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reaction time

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social institutions are made of so many different interrelated parts that the rapid pace with which technology evolve may make it difficult for some of the parts of the social system to adopt or implement the new technology

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responsibility

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many new technologies allow us to manipulate the world in news ways that are often dangerous to other or are ethically questionable

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creativity

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some technologies stifle creativity. Instead of aiding in creativity (which some do) there are others that turns users into passive observers. (TV is a good example)

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Population size and technology

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have a direct impact on the kinds of technology a society can support as`well as the technologies it needs to survive

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Population density and technology

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Larger and denser populations tend to have more complicated and a greater variety of technologies.

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ideology

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a systematic body of concepts, ideas and beliefs about life and culture that are shared by a group with a common identity

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biophysical and sociocultural information

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interacts to create patterned behavior within human societies (ie. an emergent social structure like the emergent of cities with shacks)

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Diffusion

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Process in which an innovation is communicating thru certain channels over time among the members of a social system

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Communication

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Process in which participants create and share information with one another in order to reach a mutual understanding

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Social Change

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Process at which alteration occurs in the structure and functionof a social system

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The Innovation

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is an idea, practice, or object that is perceived as new by an individual or other unit of adoption

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4 Main elements of Diffusion

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1) The Innovation
2) Communication Channels
3) Time
4) Social System

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Technology (Rogers)

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A design for instrumental action that reduces the uncertainty in the cause-effect relationships involved in achieving a desired outcome

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Hardware Aspect

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the tool that embodies the technology as a material or physical object

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Software Aspect

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the information base for the tool

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Technology cluster

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1 or more distinguishable elements of technology that are perceived as being closely interrelated

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Relative Advantage

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degree to which an innovation is perceived as better than the idea it supersedes

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Compatibility

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degree to which an innovation is perceived as being consisted with the existing values, past experiences, and needs of potential adopters.

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Complexity

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degree to which an innovation is perceived as difficult to understand and use

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Trialability

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degree to which an innovation may be experimented with on a limited basis

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Observability

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degree to which the results of an innovation are visible to others

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Homophily

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degree to which to 2 or more individuals who interact are similiar in certain attributes such as beliefs, education, socio-economic status etc.

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Heterophily

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degree to which 2 or more individuals who interact are different in certain attributes

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Ascribed Status

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a socially determined place within a social hiearchy that is assigned to individuals and groups independent of their social actions

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Achieved Status

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is a social determined place within the social hierarchy which individuals or groups gain thru the socialization process

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Innovation-decision process

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Process thru which an individual (or decision making unit) passes from first knowledge of innovation, to a decision to adopt or reject implementation, and use of the new idea and to confirmation of this decision

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rate of adoption

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relative speed with which an innovation is adopted by members of a social system

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social system

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set of interrelated units that are engaged in joint problem solving to accomplish a common goal

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social structure

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the patterned arrangements of the units in a system

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5 Adopter Categories

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1) Innovators
2) Early Adopters
3) Early Majority
4) Late Majority
5) Laggards

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define functionalist

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hold the view that technology is ultimately good for society because it helps integrate different parts of the social system into a untied whole. That is technology is functional because it helps society survive.

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define Theorists

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believe technology is mostly bad for society because it is always being used by those in power to take advantage of those without power

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define Interactionists

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Argue technology is neither good nor bad but can be both depending on how many people define and use the technology they create

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Ogburn's Model of Cultural Evolution

define accumulation

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populations (societies) accumulated chunks of information that led to.....

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Ogburn's Model of Cultural Evolution

Define Inventors

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Inventors used the accumulated knowledge of society to invent new technologies which were subject to..........

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Ogburn's Model of Cultural Evolution

Define Diffusion

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As inventions diffused thru out societies it changed how people interacted which required.....

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Ogburn's Model of Cultural Evolution

Define Adjustment

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The adoption of new technology required people to combined previous social/cultural understandings with new ways of interacting

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define current knowledge

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you have to be aware of the property of the environment before you can configure or manipulate it

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define Previous Innovation

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Most "NEW" technology are "state of the art" meaning that they are simply minor variations of previous technology that we are

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define Current Social Organization

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Social Institutions play a key role in technology progress because they can help or hurt the advancements of innovations

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define Available Materials

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many modern innovations are made possible by availability of suitable materials

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define cultural lag

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a period of maladjustment, in either the material or non-material culture, brought about by the introduction of new technology

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define Technological Frame

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the intellectual system in which a new device or system is set. The symbolic frame of reference that a group uses to define and evaluate the technologies they use and acquire

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define Human Agency

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the capacity for human beings to make choices and to impose those choices on the world

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define Configuration

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the idea that human beings actively determine how and where technology are placed within their social constructed reality

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define Materialism

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the view that all things are composed of material (objective concrete matter) and thus all phenomena (including consciousness) are the result of material interacting

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define Dialetic

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the Hegelian process of change in which a concept or its realization passes over into and is preserved and fulfilled by its opposite

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define Dialectic Materialism

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the idea that the roots of social change lie in the antagonistic elements inherent to all economic modes of production

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define Natural Needs

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are the abilities and needs that humans share with animals (i.e. our needs for food, water, and shelter)

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define Natural Powers

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are our instincts that allow us to respond to the environment

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define Species Needs

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those needs that are uniquely human which animals do not possess. Such needs arise as humans use the environment to create their reality

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define Species Power

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powers that are uniquely human, specifically humans power to use the environment as a way to overcome it

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define Species Being

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A state of balanced between humans and their environment that is achieved when humans beings are free to use their species powers to alter their environment in order to satisfy their species needs

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define the 3 Assumptions of Marx

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1) Humans are social and altruistic

2) Humans exist as a groups NOT individuals

3) Humans are happiest when they have a direct connection to their environment

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define Relations of Production

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the actual social connections that are created thru particular methods of production

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define Bourgeoisie

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those who own the means of production and have the opportunity to realize their species being (few in number)

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define Poletariat

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those who own only their labor and are limited in realizing their species being (the masses)

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define Means of Production

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the instruments (technology) and resources (energy/material) used by humans laborers to create products
OR
the methods and materials that we use to bring those things that we need to survive