Lecture 10

Sociology, Media and Technology

Media and Technology in Society
Technology and the media are interwoven, and neither can be separated from contemporary
society in most core and semi-peripheral nations. Media is a term that refers to all print, digital,
and electronic means of communication. From the time the printing press was created (and even
before), technology has influenced how and where information is shared. Today, it is impossible
to discuss media and the ways societies communicate without addressing the fast-moving pace of
technology change. Twenty years ago, if you wanted to share news of your baby’s birth or a job
promotion, you phoned or wrote letters. You might tell a handful of people, but you probably
wouldn’t call up several hundred, including your old high school chemistry teacher, to let them
know. Now, you might join an online community of parents-to-be even before you announce
your pregnancy via a staged Instagram picture.
Types of Media and Technology
Media and technology have evolved hand in hand, from early print to modern publications, from
radio to television to film. New media emerge constantly, such as we see in the online world.
Newspaper
Early forms of print media, found in ancient Rome, were hand-copied onto boards and carried
around to keep the citizenry informed. With the invention of the printing press, the way that
people shared ideas changed, as information could be mass produced and stored. For the first
time, there was a way to spread knowledge and information more efficiently; many credits this
development as leading to the Renaissance and ultimately the Age of Enlightenment. This is not
to say that newspapers of old were more trustworthy than the Weekly World News and National
Enquirer are today. Sensationalism abounded, as did censorship that forbade any subjects that
would incite the populace.
Television and Radio
Radio programming obviously preceded television, but both shaped people’s lives in much the
same way. In both cases, information (and entertainment) could be enjoyed at home, with a kind
of immediacy and community that newspapers could not offer. For instance, many people in the
United States might remember when they saw on television or heard on the radio that the Twin
Towers in New York City had been attacked in 2001. Even though people were in their own
homes, media allowed them to share these moments in real time. This same kind of separate-but-
communal approach occurred with entertainment too. School-aged children and office workers
gathered to discuss the previous night’s installment of a serial television or radio show.
Film
The film industry took off in the 1930s, when color and sound were first integrated into feature
films. Like television, early films were unifying for society: as people gathered in theaters to
watch new releases, they would laugh, cry, and be scared together. Movies also act as time
capsules or cultural touchstones for society. From Westerns starring the tough-talking Clint
Eastwood to the biopic of Facebook founder and Harvard dropout Mark Zuckerberg, movies
illustrate society’s dreams, fears, and experiences. While many consider Hollywood the epicenter
of moviemaking, India’s Bollywood actually produces more films per year, speaking to the
cultural aspirations and norms of Indian society. The film industry, like other media formats, has
gone through substantial change as a result of streaming services, online privacy, and the new
competition for people's entertainment dollars.

New Media and Online Environments

New media encompasses all interactive forms of information exchange. These include social
networking sites, blogs, podcasts, wikis, and virtual worlds. Many are not "new" in the sense that
they were developed in the past few years (some may be older than you), but they are newer than
the media mentioned above, and they rely on types of technologies that were not available until
about thirty years ago. Many are ways disruptive to traditional media or to companies that rely
on those other formats. Clearly, the list of new media grows almost daily, and you might feel we
are missing some. In fact, the immediacy of new media coupled with the lack of oversight means
we must be more careful than ever to ensure that we are making good decisions about the
accuracy, ethics, and cultural responsiveness of these formats.
Technology inequality
The relationship between technology and inequality is multifaceted. Technology has enhanced
productivity, accelerated economic growth, enabled knowledge and information sharing and
increased access to basic services. However, it has also been the cause of inequalities. In this
lecture, we will examine the role of technology across the three facets of inequality: inequality of
outcome; inequality of opportunities; and inequality of impact, which is concerned with the
impact of environmental hazards on the most vulnerable
Inequality of outcome: The role technology plays in income and wealth inequality is complex
and contested. Technology is a key driver of aggregate economic growth, through productivity
improvements, but its contribution to economic growth varies greatly across countries.
Technology can also be a driver of income and wealth inequality because of its skills-bias nature
and because innovators can capture high rents.
Inequality of opportunities: Under the right policy environment, the potential for technologies
to reduce inequality in opportunities is vast. Technology innovation has contributed to major
breakthroughs in providing the poorest with access to basic services. Solar home technologies
have provided access to electricity to millions of households in Bangladesh, while providing job
opportunities to 140,000 people. Digital technologies have enlarged access to education and
training, including to worldleading universities, through massive open online courses (MOOCs).
Online e-commerce platforms have enabled small producers to sell their products worldwide and
develop new markets in rural areas. Furthermore, technologies can support movements for
democracy and social justice. The #metoo social media campaign against sexual harassment and
assault has given a voice to women across the globe. Technology offers considerable
opportunities, but rewards are not guaranteed. For lower-income and other vulnerable groups to
see benefits, research suggests that at least three conditions are necessary: 1) The availability of
ICT infrastructure, 2). Skills to identify and use technologies 3). Opportunities to access
technologies that address the need of low-income groups.
Inequality of impact: The convergence of digital, space and other technologies, combined with
advances in material sciences has helped reduce environmental inequalities and mitigate the
asymmetric impact of environmental hazards, extreme weather events and disasters on the most
vulnerable. Early warning services have proved particularly useful in that regard. Developed
countries in the Asia-Pacific region are making great strides in harnessing frontier technologies
to provide real-time, location-specific early warning information.
Theoretical perspectives on media and technology
Functionalism
Because functionalism focuses on how media and technology contribute to the smooth
functioning of society, a good place to begin understanding this perspective is to write a list of
functions you perceive media and technology to perform. Your list might include the ability to
find information on the Internet, television’s entertainment value, or how advertising and product
placement contribute to social norms. These include commercial function, entertainment
function, socialization function

Conflict Perspective
In contrast to theories in the functional perspective, the conflict perspective focuses on the
creation and reproduction of inequality—social processes that tend to disrupt society rather than
contribute to its smooth operation. When we take a conflict perspective, one major focus is the
differential access to media and technology embodied in the digital divide. Conflict theorists also
look at who controls the media, and how media promotes the norms of upper-middle-class White
people in the United States while minimizing the presence of the working class, especially
people of color.

Control of Media and Technology

Powerful individuals and social institutions have a great deal of influence over which forms of
technology are released, when and where they are released, and what kind of media is available
for our consumption, which is a form of gatekeeping. Shoemaker and Vos (2009)
define gatekeeping as the sorting process by which thousands of possible messages are shaped
into a mass media-appropriate form and reduced to a manageable amount. In other words, the
people in charge of the media decide what the public is exposed to, which, as C. Wright Mills
(1956) famously noted, is the heart of media’s power. Take a moment to think of the way “new
media” evolve and replace traditional forms of hegemonic media. With hegemonic media, a
culturally diverse society can be dominated by one race, gender, or class that manipulates the
media to impose its worldview as a societal norm. New media weakens the gatekeeper role in
information distribution. Popular sites such as YouTube and Facebook not only allow more
people to freely share information but also engage in a form of self-policing. Users are
encouraged to report inappropriate behavior that moderators will then address.