Technology and its Impact on Society
Technology can be characterized as the promotion of scientific knowledge used to address a particular need within society. We grow like technology. The arrival of the Internet, for example, has contributed to changes in people's usual social decorum. The center of technological progress is electricity, according to Leslie White. She concluded that energy in combination with technology contributes to culture. He claimed that culture continuously changed based on developments in innovation, technology, and communications from Gerhard Lenski, another viewpoint. In short, he claims that the survival of civilization depends on development in technology. Alvin Toffler has another perspective, he identified that the growth and evolution of technology are so rapid that a human being cannot cope with it. He came up with the term future shock to define the incapability of the human mind to comprehend the fast changing technology.
Gerhard Lenski
The development in the complexity of a society is determined by the advancements in technology, Lenski (1966). His focus on technology was based on the information. The more information acquired the more progressive a society is. He categorized society into five; hunters and gatherers, horticultural, pastoral, agricultural, and industrial. Each society advanced with an increase in human population and settlement, however, the industrial phase saw the use of advanced sources of energy to drive large industries. This society is the most complex as it has schools, governments, and specialization of work.
Leslie White
According to White (1943), "Culture evolves as the amount of energy harnessed per capita per year increases or as the efficiency of the means of putting this energy to work is increased" (p.101). Fire represents the first time man utilized energy that was not from his body. As man evolved, he found ways to utilize trapped energy like coal. This led to more cultural advancements. As man's use of energy grew, so did technology. Consequently, the discovery of nuclear fusion energy represents a new milestone. White believed that if controlled, this energy would usher in a new era of cultural diversity. However, nuclear energy holds unparalleled potential, and its ability to cause unequaled damage could spell the end for mankind.
Alvin Toffler
A pioneer of the profession of futurism. He argues that the fast changes and growth of technology are becoming uncontrollable and it will reach a point where a human being will not understand and control it. Toffler insists on the introduction of futurism into the education curriculum. According to him, humans have evolved in three waves. The first one is marked by agrarianism, the second by the industrial revolution, and the third one by technology which has replaced industrialization. He says that the third wave will change core human consciousness. This focus on information and knowledge will create a more democratic and equitable society.
Conclusion
As you can see, all three perspectives contain some truth to them, however, they contrast on the roles technology plays in our future. While White and Lenski agree that culture is influenced by technology, they differ on how these technological developments happen. Also, Toffler goes further in believing that technology might be the end of man. White is of a similar view, but in her opinion, the evolution of energy, nuclear energy, may be the cause for danger. In conclusion, I find Lenski's work to be the most compelling as he incorporated White's views and came up with a good perspective. As for Toffler, the future is yet to be written, however, he makes valid points.
References
Toffler, A. (1970). Future shock. New York: Random House.
Nolan, P., & Lenski, G. (2004). Human societies: An introduction to macrosociology. Boulder, Colo: Paradigm Publishers.
Toffler, A. (1981). The third wave. New York: Bantam Books.
Dole, G., Carneiro, R. L., & White, L. A. (1960). Essays in the science of culture: In honor of Leslie A. White: in celebration of his sixtieth birthday and his thirtieth year of teaching at the University of Michigan. New York, N.Y: Crowell.
