The Sociological Imagination and Technology: A Discussion of the Views of Baby Boomer and a Millennial about Technology and its Societal Impact
Lawrence Clark Powell’s astounding description of technology that remarkably gives it provides a remarkably accurate look through the lens of sociological imagination: “We are the children of a technological age. We have always found streamlined ways of doing much of our routine work. Printing is no longer the only means of reproducing books. Reading them, however, has not changed.” Before this quote’s use of the sociological imagination can be properly examined, one must understand the proper definition of the sociological imagination. The sociological imagination is defined by C. Wright Mills, the …show more content…
It lets one see the connections between individuals and contexts, such as historical roles, relationships, and beliefs. Finally, it allows one to see the interplay between agency (the freewill of the individual) and structure (societal forces) on a scenario or individual. For the aforementioned quote, the sociological imagination would be able to see that Lawrence Clark Powell is observing how technology is modernizing certain things; such as the printing process. Some people are afraid of new changes, and understandably so. However, he moves on, and states that reading these books has not changed one bit. By making this point, Lawrence Clark Powell shows that while things may change, some things will still remain the same. Some societal duties and interactions will remain necessary, no matter how much progress is made. The sociological imagination demonstrates the historical context of rapid technological progress and consequences resulting from the fear of the unknown and implications of a society that has moved past older and more traditional ways of interacting and doing business. Sociological imagination is an incredibly useful tool to analyze all aspects of …show more content…
One can certainly use the sociological imagination to analyze the role that media plays in my life and subsequently the social and historical period I am in. To start off – the role technology plays in my life is immense. I use my laptop for almost all homework in college; I use it for leisure. I use it for just about everything, including communicating with family and friends. In addition, my cell phone has many of the same apps that my laptop can run, including D2L, Twitter, and many other web-based programs. The aforementioned television is also a technology I use quite frequently, I watch programs like ESPN, CNN, Food Network, HGN, and many others, mostly for leisure, but some for genuine information. All of this speaks to the social and historical period I am in. This period that I am in – the mid 2010’s – a period of rapid technological innovation, is something that can be defined by technological progress and usage. Most people in this era rely on technology in at least one aspect of their life – whether it be to maintain social relationships, submit online homework, or just to spend leisure. The sociological imagination can be used to see that this society is reliant on technology as well – everyone in this society has become reliant on technologies for work, leisure or school. This period of
Lawrence Clark Powell’s astounding description of technology that remarkably gives it provides a remarkably accurate look through the lens of sociological imagination: “We are the children of a technological age. We have always found streamlined ways of doing much of our routine work. Printing is no longer the only means of reproducing books. Reading them, however, has not changed.” Before this quote’s use of the sociological imagination can be properly examined, one must understand the proper definition of the sociological imagination. The sociological imagination is defined by C. Wright Mills, the …show more content…
It lets one see the connections between individuals and contexts, such as historical roles, relationships, and beliefs. Finally, it allows one to see the interplay between agency (the freewill of the individual) and structure (societal forces) on a scenario or individual. For the aforementioned quote, the sociological imagination would be able to see that Lawrence Clark Powell is observing how technology is modernizing certain things; such as the printing process. Some people are afraid of new changes, and understandably so. However, he moves on, and states that reading these books has not changed one bit. By making this point, Lawrence Clark Powell shows that while things may change, some things will still remain the same. Some societal duties and interactions will remain necessary, no matter how much progress is made. The sociological imagination demonstrates the historical context of rapid technological progress and consequences resulting from the fear of the unknown and implications of a society that has moved past older and more traditional ways of interacting and doing business. Sociological imagination is an incredibly useful tool to analyze all aspects of …show more content…
One can certainly use the sociological imagination to analyze the role that media plays in my life and subsequently the social and historical period I am in. To start off – the role technology plays in my life is immense. I use my laptop for almost all homework in college; I use it for leisure. I use it for just about everything, including communicating with family and friends. In addition, my cell phone has many of the same apps that my laptop can run, including D2L, Twitter, and many other web-based programs. The aforementioned television is also a technology I use quite frequently, I watch programs like ESPN, CNN, Food Network, HGN, and many others, mostly for leisure, but some for genuine information. All of this speaks to the social and historical period I am in. This period that I am in – the mid 2010’s – a period of rapid technological innovation, is something that can be defined by technological progress and usage. Most people in this era rely on technology in at least one aspect of their life – whether it be to maintain social relationships, submit online homework, or just to spend leisure. The sociological imagination can be used to see that this society is reliant on technology as well – everyone in this society has become reliant on technologies for work, leisure or school. This period of