Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
(or how cell phones make the world go round) Social Movements, Social Change, and Technology Social movements Theories of social change Resistance to social change Technology and the future Social Change and Social Movements Social change: significant alteration over time in behavior patterns and culture Surveillance cameras in public places Virtual meetings Social networking sites Social movements: organized collective activities to bring about or resist fundamental change in an existing group or society Social movements have dramatic impact on history and the evolution of social structure Even when unsuccessful, social movements contribute to formation of public opinion Relative Deprivation Approach Relative deprivation: conscious feeling of negative discrepancy between legitimate expectations and present actualities People must feel they have right to their goals People must perceive they cannot attain their goals through conventional means Resource Mobilization Approach Resource mobilization: ways a social movement utilizes such resources as money, political influence, access to the media, and workers Leadership central factor Help followers overcome false consciousness: attitudes that do not reflect workers’ objective position Gender and Social Movements Women find it more difficult than men to assume leadership positions in social movement organizations Women often serve disproportionately as volunteers; work not always recognized Gender can affect the way we view organized efforts to bring about change New Social Movements New social movement: organized collective activities that address values and social identities as well as quality of life Generally do not view government as their ally Educated, middle-class people are significantly represented little inclination to accept established authority, even scientific or technical authority Theories of Social Change Evolutionary theory: Society viewed as moving in a definite direction Investigates the behavioral links between humans and other animals Influences human ecology Study of the interaction between communities and their environments Functionist theory: Equilibrium model: as changes occur in one part of society, adjustments must be made in other parts Parsons: 4 processes of social change Differentiation Adaptive upgrading Inclusion Value generalization Conflict Theories of Social Change Contends that social institutions and practices persist because powerful groups have the ability to maintain the status quo Change needed to correct social injustices and inequalities Marxist: social change appeals because it does not restrict people to passive roles Dahrendorf found functionalist and conflict approaches were compatible despite many areas of disagreement Global Social Change Dramatic time in history to consider global social change Hallinan noted need to move beyond restrictive models of social change Sociologists must predict upheavals and major chaotic shifts Resistance to Social Change Efforts to promote social change likely to meet with resistance Vested interests: people or groups who will suffer in the event of social change Economic and Cultural Factors Material culture Nonmaterial culture Culture lag Resistance to Technology Luddites raided factories and destroyed new machinery during the Industrial Revolution in England Neo-Luddites are wary of technological changes Urban Amish Those who resist the technological devices that have become part of our daily lives Cell phones Technology and the Future Technology Cultural information about how to use the material resources of the environment to satisfy human needs and desires In 2008, Internet reached 1.8 billion users Not everyone has access; pattern of inequality is global Core nations have monopoly on information technology Offshoring: transferring other types of work to foreign contractors Global Offshoring Latest tactic of raising profits by reducing costs Conflict theorists charge that this aspect of globalization furthers social inequality Significant source of employment for India’s upper middle class Privacy and Censorship Complex issues of privacy and censorship can be considered illustrations of culture lag Legislation regarding surveillance of electronic communications has not always upheld citizens’ right to privacy Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 1986 USA PATRIOT Act, 2001 Biotechnology Sex selection of fetuses Genetically engineered organisms Cloning Genetically modified food Human Genome Project Sociologists worry about ethical implication of such research