Media and Technology
Read this chapter for a review of media and technology. As you read each section, consider the following topics:
- Take note of how a functionalist might explain the social purposes of media and technology.
- Focus on the bold terms throughout the chapter. Have you ever experienced technological inequality? Can you think of ways to overcome technological inequality?
- Take note of the different types of media and their social impacts. What are some types of media common in your life? How might these mediums affect your everyday interactions?
- Take note of the differences between media globalization and technological globalization. After reading about the impact of cell phones in Sub-Saharan Africa, what are your initial thoughts on shared phone programs?
- Take note of the various theoretical perspectives pertaining to media and technology. In addition, Take note of the new theoretical perspective introduced in this chapter: the feminist perspective. Lastly, focus on how the social construction of reality will be affected by mass media.
Key Terms
cyberfeminism
the application to and promotion of feminism online
design patents
patents that are granted when someone has invented a new and original design for a manufactured product
digital divide
the uneven access to technology around race, class, and geographic lines
e-readiness
the ability to sort through, interpret, and process digital knowledge
evolutionary model of technological change
a breakthrough in one form of technology that leads to a number of variations, from which a prototype emerges, followed by a period of slight adjustments to the technology, interrupted by a breakthrough
gatekeeping
the sorting process by which thousands of possible messages are shaped into a mass media-appropriate form and reduced to a manageable amount
knowledge gap
the gap in information that builds as groups grow up without access to technology
media
all print, digital, and electronic means of communication
media consolidation
a process by which fewer and fewer owners control the majority of media outlets
media globalization
the worldwide integration of media through the cross-cultural exchange of ideas
neo-Luddites
those who see technology as a symbol of the coldness of modern life
net neutrality
the principle that all Internet data should be treated equally by internet service providers
new media
all interactive forms of information exchange
oligopoly
a situation in which a few firms dominate a marketplace
panoptic surveillance
a form of constant monitoring in which the observation posts are decentralized and the observed is never communicated with directly
planned obsolescence
the act of a technology company planning for a product to be obsolete or unable from the time it's created
plant patents
patents that recognize the discovery of new plant types that can be asexually reproduced
technological diffusion
the spread of technology across borders
technological globalization
the cross-cultural development and exchange of technology
technology
the application of science to solve problems in daily life
technophiles
those who see technology as symbolizing the potential for a brighter future
utility patents
patents that are granted for the invention or discovery of any new and useful process, product, or machine