Social Aspects of Engineering

Technology and Society

 Sociology
Auguste Comte defined sociology as the abstract and
theoretical science of social phenomena.
Durkheim defined sociology as the study of social facts
which are the collective ways of feeling, thinking, and
acting.
Weber thought of Sociology as the study of social action
and social relationships.
International Encyclopaedia of the Social Science defines
sociology as the study of social aggregates and groups in
their institutional organization, of institutions and their
organization, and of the causes and the consequences of
changes in Institutions and social organizations.
 Sociology
Sociology is the scientific study of society, its
institutions, structure and processes.
Typically, sociology is concerned with social
interaction, social groups and social behaviour. It
examines Why people behave the way they do,
how culture shapes human behaviour and what
sorts of group dynamics influences social
behaviour. The focus of Sociology therefore, is on
social systems and processes, rather than
individual beliefs and behaviours.
 Characteristics of Sociology
There are three characteristics of sociology as
a discipline.
Sociology is a Social Science that deals with
social systems and processes.
Sociology is a general social science that deals
with society as a whole.
Sociology is a pure science not an applied
science.
 Sociological Perspectives
The sociological perspective has four dimensions:
Humans beings live in groups, and therefore, their
thoughts and actions, even their nature to some
extent, are influenced by the groups in which they live.
The social perspective of a trained scientist stresses the
social contexts in which people live; it enables us to see
the world in a larger social context.
The social perspective teaches us about the social
construction of the reality. It teaches us to differentiate
between reality and socially constructed reality and to
interpret them from a scientific point of view.
 Sociological Perspectives
The sociological perspective informs us that reality has
many layers of meaning. The obvious reality may be
only a mask for a construed or contrived reality.
The fourth dimension of the sociology perspective is
what C. Wright Mills (1959:196) called social
Imagination. Sociology is concerned with ordinary,
everyday life. The sociologist investigates why people
do the things they do and feel and think the way they
do. He cannot simply depend on the common-sense
explanations.
 The foundations of Society
Culture: Beliefs, Values, Language, Norms,
technology,
Socialization
Social Interaction
Types of Societies and groups
Deviance and Social Control
 Technology and Society
Societies influence what aspects of technology
are developed and how these are used. People
control technology (as well as science) and are
responsible for its effects.
Technology has strongly influenced the course of
history and continues to do so. It is largely
responsible for the great revolutions in
agriculture, manufacturing, sanitation and
medicine, warfare, transportation, information
processing, and communications that have
radically changed how people live.
Relationship of Technology and Society

Reciprocal Relationship

Technology Society
 Sociological Factors and Effect
Values
The implementation of technology is also influenced by values
and the vice-versa the implementation of technology influences the
values of a society by changing expectations and realities.
Choice
Society also controls technology through the choices it makes.
These choices not only include consumer demands; they also
include:
the channels of distribution, how do products go from raw
materials to consumption to disposal;
the cultural beliefs regarding style, freedom of choice,
consumerism, materialism, etc.;
the economic values we place on the environment, individual
wealth, government control, capitalism, etc.
 Sociological Factors and Effects
Government
Government Policies
Governmental Agendas for development
Liability: One means for controlling technology is to
place responsibility for the harm with the agent
causing the harm. Government can allow more or less
legal liability to fall to the organizations or individuals
responsible for damages.
Legislation: A source of controversy is the role of
industry versus that of government in maintaining a
clean environment.
 Sociological Factors and Effects
Environment
Infrastructure
Political and Regulatory Environment
Business and Innovation Environment
Affordability
Skills
 Sociological Factors and Effects
International
Technology enables greater knowledge of
international issues, values, and cultures. Due
mostly to mass transportation and mass
media, the world seems to be a much smaller
place, due to the following:
Globalization of ideas
Embeddedness of values
Population skills
 Sociological Factors and Effects
According to Williams and Edge the construction and
shaping of technology includes the concept of choice
(and not necessarily conscious choice). Choice is
inherent in both the design of individual artifacts and
systems, and in the making of those artifacts and
systems.
The idea here is that a single technology may not
emerge from the unfolding of a predetermined logic or
a single determinant, technology could be a garden of
forking paths, with different paths potentially leading
to different technological outcomes.
 Historical and Cultural Influences
The historical and cultural influences on designing and
producing include:
changing social trends
cultural diversity
the changing nature of work
technological change.
Culture is an important issue for designers, especially in a
global society. Culture is a complex term. It can refer to:
race and ethnicity
socio-historical context
economic and political influence.
 Conclusion
Societies influence what aspects of technology are
developed and how these are used. People control
technology (as well as science) and are responsible
for its effects.
Technology, especially in transportation and
communication, is increasingly important in
spreading ideas, values, and behaviour patterns
within a society and among different societies. New
technology can change cultural values and social
behaviour.