social Problems >101<
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science_and_technology_chapter_15__soc_101.pptSCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Chapter 15
Instructor: Peggy Roberts
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY- FUTURISTIC
Science- the process of discovering, explaining, and predicting natural or social phenomena
Technology- a form of human cultural activity that applies the principles of science and mechanics to the solution of problems
- Can you think of any great one in the last 20 years?
HIV/AIDS and the some day Vaccine for AIDS
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DOMINATES
Agricultural Societies- production of raw materials-the use of tools that previously was accomplished by hand (Mechanization)
Industrialization Societies- mass production of goods – self-operating machines (Automation)
Post-Industrialization- service and information professions- machines control machines -making production decisions, programming robots, and monitoring assembly performance (Cybernation)
Automation- Robots
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TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION
Less than 50 years ago-
Traveling across state lines was an arduous task
Long-distance phone calls were a memorable event
Mail carriers brought belated news of friends and relatives from far away
Today-
Travelers journey between continents in a matter of hours
E-mail, faxes, videoconferencing, instant messaging, and electronic funds transfers have replaced conventional means of communication
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: INTERNET
- Internet had 850 million users in more than 100 countries- nearly 140 million users in the United States
- The most common online language populations are
English – 35.2%
Chinese-13.7%
Spanish- 9%
Japanese 8.4%
German 6.9% & French 4.2%
Get- online = Africans, Middle Easterners, and Latin Americans increasing users- becoming Global
Average time spent during surfing session is 50 minutes
Average time online per month 25 hours and 48 minutes
Average number of sessions per month- 31 times
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Robot Market-
Microsoft’s Internet platform and support products are sold all over the world
Intel's computer processing units (CPU’s) power an estimated four –fifths of the worlds personal computers (PC)
Genetic research – blood and skin samples from remote islanders all over the world
A global treaty regulation trade of genetically altered production had been signed by more than 100 nations – Why do you think this is so important?
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: R & D
Research and Development (R&D)-
Research entails the pursuit of knowledge
Development refers to the production of materials, systems, processes, or devices directed towards the solution of practical problems
- 2003- The United States spend $276 Billion on R&D
- Funding sources are primarily from four sectors-
1. Private Industry 66%
2. Federal Government 28%
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: R & D
3.Colleges and Universities 3%
4. Other nonprofit organizations -Research Institutes-3%
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
- Scientific discoveries and technological development require the support of a country’s citizens and political leaders
- WHY?
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
- Example- Abortions
Although abortion has been technically possible for many years, millions of the world’s citizens live in countries where abortions is either prohibited or permitted only when the life of the mother is in danger.
Thus the degree to which science and technology are considered good or bad, desirable or undesirable, is a function of time and place
Social constructionists
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TECHNOLOGICAL FIX/SOCIAL ENGINEERING
Shortage of Water- Two views
Technological Fix- Social problems can be resolved through technology
Increase the water supply
Social Engineering-changing people’s habits or motivation
Persuading people to change their lifestyle- use less water, take shorter showers, and wear clothes more than once before washing
Can you think of another one?
Drinking and driving- Technological fix- air bags (reduce injuries and death resulting from car accidents
Social Engineering- public service announcements- “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk”, imposing stiffer penalties for drunk driving
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: POSTMODERNISM
Postmodernism- a Worldwide view that questions the validity of rational thinking and the scientific enterprise
- Pinpointing to the unforeseen and unwanted consequences of resulting technologies
- What are some?
Automobiles- mass-production; consumer demands vs. increased air pollution and the deterioration of cities as suburbs developed – traffic fatalities are the number one cause of accident-related deaths
IFV ( In Vitro Fertilization) - older parents-younger orphans
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TECHNOLOGY IN THE WORKPLACE
- All workplaces, from government offices to factories and from supermarkets to real-estate agencies, have felt the impact of technology
- Time-saving devices
- Enhance workers’ efficiency vs. worker error
- Changing work location- teleworking
- Robotic Technology- robot work in factories (more than half of them are used in heavy industry- automobile manufacturing) & hospitals (heart, brain , and many other surgeries)
100 Million people work from home at least one day a week (Mostly Americans- Generation Y (born:1980-1994)).
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: COMPUTER REVOLUTION
- Seventy-two million employees use a computer at work
- Females, Caucasian, and more educated people have higher rates of computer use at work
Most common uses of the computer at work -
Internet or email
Word processing, working with spreadsheets or databases, & accessing or updating calendars or schedules
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: COMPUTER REVOLUTION
United States:
- Households with Computers= 61.8%
- Households with internet access= 54.6%
- Fastest growing population of computer uses = Elderly 66.3%
- Wealthier families are more likely to have a computer - $150,000 or more annual income -94.7%; compared to 26.9% low-income families making $10,000 annually
- 61.1% of White American own a computer compare to 37.1% of African Americans
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: INTERNET
Uses for internet
Communication – 93%
Enterainment-46%
Transactions-63%
Information-97%
Communication- email or instant messaging
Entertainment- play games, listen to music, or view TV or movies
Transactions- purchase of product or services, Bank on line
Information- Search for products, get news, health services or practices, gov’t services or agencies, jobs
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SCIENCE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
- Biotechnology- Contested issues- Reproductive Technology
- The evolution of reproductive science has been hindered by the stigma associated with sexuality and reproduction
Link with unpopular social movements- birth control
Challenges the natural order
- In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) an egg and sperm are united in an artificial setting – First test tube baby was in 1944, but was not born until 1978- Miss Louise Brown
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: REPRODUCTIVE
- 2003- There were more than 400,000 frozen embryos-
88% set aside for future family building, 3 % for medical research and 2% for donation to other couples
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
- Cloning-
- What is your take on cloning?
- Is it a threat to human dignity and the preservation of human life?
- Arguments against cloning are largely based on moral and ethical considerations
Medical value- may allow everyone to have “their own reserve of therapeutic cells” that would increase their chance of being cured of various diseases (cancer, degenerative disorders, and viral or inflammatory diseases), and alternative reproductive route for couples who are infertile and for those in which one partner is at risk for transmitting a genetic disease
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: CONSEQUENCES
- Alienated- Workers may feel that there is no creativity in what they do because technology continues to play an important role in the workforce
- Deskilling- Labor requires less thought than before and gives the worker fewer decisions to make- work become routine, boring, and meaningless
- Upskilling- technology in the work environments- reduces alienation because employees find their work more rather than less meaningful and have greater decision-making powers as information becomes decentralized
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: CONSEQUENCES
- Isolation- Technology affects social relationships and the nature of social interaction
- Telephone- fewer visits from friends and family
- DVD’s and PC – limits the number of social interaction at the movies theater
- Dating- Internet dating( Chat Room)- social and physical contact
- Blue Shield of California is now paying Doctors to go on-line for consultations ($25 for each email)
- Children on internet spend less time playing outdoor sports - obesity
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: CONSEQUENCES
- Loss Of Privacy And Security- 2005 – 36 % of companies use “keystroke monitoring so they can read what people type as well as track how much time they spend at the computer”
- 1 in 20 companies has been sued for e-mail-related surveillance
- Financial Records stolen
- Unauthorized disclosure of medical records
- “People aren’t aware that mouse clicks can be traced, packaged, and sold”– U.S. Department of Commerce Larry Irving
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: PHYSICAL HEALTH
Physical Health:
- Technology-induced diseases from
Nuclear power plants,
Pesticide DDT,
Automobiles,
X-rays,
Food coloring, &
Breast implants
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: MENTAL HEALTH
Mental Health
- 60% of workers report being “technophobes” – fearful of technology
- 10% of Internet users are addicted to being online = MOUSE
M= more than intended time spent online
O= other responsibilities neglected
U= unsuccessful attempts to cut down
S= significant relationship discord
E= excessive thoughts or anxieties when not online
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Future Shock- to describe the confusion resulting from rapid scientific and technological changes that unravel our traditional values and beliefs
Life vs. Death
