Impact of Technology on Social Change: A Sociological Perspective

This essay discusses the impact of technology on social change through a sociological perspective. It explores the role of technology in unifying the world nations into a global community network and its influence on non-material culture.

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Introduction
Social change discourse within the realm of sociology typically initiated with grievances
or accusation about the deficit of uniformity concerning its connotation. In a highly concrete
sense social change signifies that diverse range of individuals are engaging themselves in
collective performance and relationships which vary from those their parents have been engaged
in some time ago (Cowan). Sociologist CW Mills revealed that events occurring in the cause of
time to the rule the institutions constituting a social structure along with their emergence
development and decline. Society has been identified as multifaceted network of patterns of
associations whereby members participate in varying degrees (Thompson). These associations
transform and behaviour develops at the same time. Individuals within the society of encounter
new situations to which they exhibit their responsiveness. Such situations however signify
factors as the emergence of new techniques new ways of living life changes in place of residence
and new innovations ideas and social values. The primary aim of this essay is to identify the
impact of technology on social change through a sociological perspective.
Discussion
Sociologists often claim that change within the society proceeds in accordance to blind
forces over which individuals have no regulation. These claims centre on the determining force
of cultural aspects as well as social structure such as technology, the stratification system or the
economic system (Greenfield). However it is important to observe that the process of social
change is certainly inevitable into the factors associated with the emergence of the inevitability
of conflict in the society technological determinations technological inventions along with the
emergence of social movements. Furthermore in direct sense technology can be signified which
procedures which are essential to create and implement certain tools (Rolffs et al.). The

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sociological value of technology primarily lies on the importance which sets framework for its
non-material culture. Technology typically influences the approaches through which individuals
experience occurring in surroundings and the way they associate those events to each other
(Cowan). Classic example of such perspective can be gender relations whereby it has been a
customary factor for men to play a highly dominant role in the society and subjugate women and
constrain them within the four walls of the house in order to enjoy patriarchal relations (Howaldt
et al.). However with the advance of technologies in recent times along with the elevating rate of
instantaneous communications such as the material culture these dominant customs have been
losing its ground and are regarded to be highly difficult to sustain. In contemporary era the
persistent embraced notions to dominantly with hold rights and authority's on the essentials of an
individual's sex can no longer sustain its position within the society (Moore et al.).
What is typically invisible in this revolutionary transition of the society is the critical role
of technology which unifies the world nations into a global community network. It must further
be underscored that regardless of its particulars technology has been identified to artificial means
of expanding human competencies (Burrell, Gibson and Morgan). Though human groups create
and implement technology however the fundamental attribute of post Industrial society further
identified as postmodern society is dependent on technological abilities which efficiently
broaden the abilities of individuals to evaluate information proficiently communicate and travel
places without facing any forms of challenges. Moore et al. claim that such advanced
technologies facilitate individuals to perform activities which have never been imagined in
history and to communicate almost instantaneously anywhere within the world and for the travel
greater distances at rapid pace and analyse white extents of information.
Ogburn and Dorothy distinguish technology has been vital determinant of social change

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whereby the claims that's three pronged processes such as invention, discovery and diffusion
serve a crucial role in the process of change within the society. Ogburn defined invention as an
amalgamation of existing determinants and materials to establish new ones. However individuals
identify these inventions as form of being solely materialistic such as computer technology they
have been social inventions associated to bureaucracy as well as capitalism (Nemer). Social
inventions have been recognised to comprise wide-ranging outcomes for the society. However
the second process of social change stated by Ogburn signifies this company that is a new
approach of perceiving reality. Greenfield observed that reality is omnipresent however
individuals perceive it for the first time. Thompson stated that for instance, Columbus’s
discovery of North America that resulted to fast ranging consequences shaped the course of
history. Such an example however signifies on the principle whereby discovery introduces
immense transformation only when implemented at the appropriate time.
Ogburn and Dorothy’s thought process of social change is related to diffusion wear by
the expansion of invention or discovery from one region to another has been revealed. The third
phase of diffusion however has been viewed as the most important process of social change and
has the tendency to comprise extensive impact on human associations. However diffusion further
incorporates the spread of notions and perspectives whereby the idea of citizenship shaped the
political structure for no longer has been the unquestioned source of authority (Ritzer, George,
and Stepnisky). The conceptualisation of gender equality in recent times have being dominating
the society with its fundamental notion that it is wrong to with old rates on the basis of an
individual's sex.
The evolutionary paradigm pre determined that species are progressing from the same
starting phase to some similar concluding points. However Morgan theory claims that societies

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undergo three significant stages of evolution such as savagely, barbarism and civilization.
Furthermore in his perspective English society had served as the epitome of civilization which
the other societies had been destined to embrace (Burrell, Gibson and Morgan).
At this juncture, the multilinear perspectives of social change is important to be focused
upon which has substituted the unilinear theories rather than providing assumptions that all
societies embrace similar ideas and path while multilinear theoretical understandings have been
based on the idea that diverse routes can advance to a similar stage of development (Childers et
al.). As a result in order to adapt industrialisation, societies need not surpass through common
sequence of stages. Through the evaluation of evolutionary theories one can a note that
significant to these theoretical aspects weather unilinear or multilinear developed the notion of
advancement which preliterate societies have evolved from a simple or an unstructured form of
organisation towards a higher and enhanced state. Ritzer, George, and Stepnisky note that the
elevating acknowledgement of the enhanced diversity and intricacies of traditional cultures have
disregarded such an evolutionary idea and focus on the crisis which the western culture has been
encountering in present times such as poverty, prejudices, terrorism, sexual assaults, alienation
and discrimination.
Aware of the extent to which mass media can play an influential role it reveals the leaders
of social movements primarily aim to stimulate to media for influential purposes and ship the
opinion and ideas of the public and the way the perceive things about certain areas (Howaldt et
al.). However the appropriate kind of publicity facilitates social movements to trigger a
sympathetic public awareness and further to establish a ground work for engaging more
members. Destructive visuals in recent times have been obtaining substantial level of
prominence in publicizing any information of social association to broader range of the society.

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however the mass media association with social movements for the manifests itself through the
idea that mass media safeguards the facets of social movements (Keller). If an individual who is
capable of regulating and engaging in mass media from owners to reporters tend to be
sympathetic to certain particular cause can be ascertain that it will obtain sympathetic response.
Sociologist can recognise the stages of social movements related to initial unrest, apprehension
mobilisation institutionalization and decline (Howaldt et al.). However under the stage of initial
apprehension and undressed it can be witnessed that people develop sense of agitation related to
certain conditions in society and thus seek for any change within the society. Nemer claim that
leaders in the society can image who verbalize others emotions and analyses the areas of
concern. However resource mobilization has being perceived as a significant factor which
facilitates social movements in order to surpass the initial stage (Thompson). Through such a
mobilization phase, sociologists signify the organisations of resources related to economic
benefits and competencies of individuals such as operating and using advanced technologies
efficiently and gather attention by the mass media (Rolffs et al.).
Conclusion
Therefore from the above discussion it has been identified that increasing level of
intricacies and complexities in society has been dominant because of elevating rate of modern
technologies. The people has further discussed about the changes in technology is which
inevitable resolves to cultural and societal transitions. It has further been observed that the
phenomenon of social evolution has been inevitable for societies based on such mechanism as
cultural contact and its consequential impact related to cultural diffusion globalisation and the
information enhanced perceptions. Outcome of cultural levelling that is a procedure in which
cultures developed similarities as the globalisation of capitalism produces not only technical

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expertise but also western cultural ideas to the rest of the world.

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