Technology and Social Change

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Today, Americans are faced with the increasing change of technology in our everyday life. Sometimes the change happens and we do not realize how it affects our lives. I think it is always a good idea to talk to someone that is older than yourself, like your grandparents to remind you of the times in their younger years. Hopefully, that will open your eyes to the changes we face in this generation and the generation to come. In this chapter, the author explores the relationship of changing technology to changes in both the environment and social institutions. First, what is technology? Technology is the application of knowledge to solve problems. What are social institutions? According to the text, social institutions are the complex sets of statuses, roles, organizations, norms, and beliefs that meet people's basic needs within a society. Social change involves the connection of changes in social institutions, technology, and the environment. As long as you are living on this earth, you will be face with technology and social change. There is no way to hide from it because it happened many years before and it will continue to happen. In the text, the author breaks a timeline into three categories. First, category is Horticultural societies. This involved the development of a more extensive division of labor, larger populations, more permanent residence, and a greater incidence of war. Second, category is Agrarian societies. An Agrarian society is the discovery of metallurgy, the invention of the plow, and the development of the state, and a decline in the pace of development of new innovations. Third, category is Industrial societies. Industrial societies are the development of the steam engine. This industrial revolution was associated with urbanization and change in the economy and the political world. The author's point of view was to inform the reader of the technology change and how everyone will be affected by this change in every social aspect. I thought this chapter was helpful because it informed me of the past, and I realize we came a long way as far as technology is concern.

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