EST 201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Digital Divide, Outsourcing
14 Jun 2018
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Week Four (2/19/18)
Societal Consequences of Science and Technology
●Social Relationships, Social Networking, and Social Interaction
○Technology affects social relationships and the nature of social interaction.
○The development of telephones have led to fewer visits with friends and relatives;
with the advent of DVRs, cable television, and video streaming, the number of
places where social life occurs (e.g., movie theaters) has declined.
○Even the nature of dating has changed as computer networks facilitate instant
messaging, cyberdates, and “private” chat rooms. As technology increases, social
relationships and human interaction are transformed.
●Loss of Privacy and Security
○Schools, employers, and the government are increasingly using technology to
monitor individuals’ performance and behavior.
○In 2010, identity theft was the number-one complaint filed with the Federal Trade
Commission for the 11th year in a row.
●Unemployment, Immigration, and Outsourcing
○Some technologies replace human workers---robots replace factory workers, word
processors displace secretaries and typists, and computer-assisted diagnostics
reduce the need for automobile mechanics.
○Unemployment rates can also increase when companies outsource (sometimes
called off-shore) jobs to lower-wage countries.
●The Digital Divide
○One of the most significant social problems associated with science and
technology is the increased division between the classes.
○The fear that technology will produce a “virtual elite” is not uncommon. Several
theorists hypothesize that, as technology displaces workers---most notably the
unskilled and uneducated---certain classes of people will be irreparably
disadvantaged---the poor, minorities, and women.
●The Challenge to Traditional Values and Beliefs
○Technological innovation and scientific discoveries often challenge traditionally
held values and beliefs, in part because they enable people to achieve goals that
were previously unobtainable.
○Toffler (1970) coined the term future shock to describe the confusion resulting
from rapid scientific and technological changes that unravel our traditional values
and beliefs.
●Science, Ethics, and the Law
Document Summary
Social relationships, social networking, and social interaction. Technology affects social relationships and the nature of social interaction. The development of telephones have led to fewer visits with friends and relatives; with the advent of dvrs, cable television, and video streaming, the number of places where social life occurs (e. g. , movie theaters) has declined. Even the nature of dating has changed as computer networks facilitate instant messaging, cyberdates, and private chat rooms. As technology increases, social relationships and human interaction are transformed. Schools, employers, and the government are increasingly using technology to monitor individuals" performance and behavior. In 2010, identity theft was the number-one complaint filed with the federal trade. Commission for the 11th year in a row. Some technologies replace human workers---robots replace factory workers, word processors displace secretaries and typists, and computer-assisted diagnostics reduce the need for automobile mechanics. Unemployment rates can also increase when companies outsource (sometimes called off-shore) jobs to lower-wage countries.
