Science and Technology in Society

Community in the networked society

History of Technology

Tech and Society

Politics of Technology

Theorizing STS

Relationships in-and-with 21st century technosiences

does not exist in a social vacuum

a material substance

used in one setting does not mean use in another

influenced by multiple factors

socio-technical perspective

influenced by society

the way we view economy

not pure, neutral

"technology has knowledge"

embodying and reflecting society elements

utopian vs. dystopian

utopian: binding ourselves to the perceptive risks

dystopian: regressive force

missing out on the positive benefits

Feenburg's Categorization

using science as tech to explore the world

as a force for good

determinism

instrumentalism

substantivism

critical theory

technological determinism

tech directs and shapes social interactions

social determinism

creates specific uses for the tech

focused on the technological pov

structures and controls society

almost like the utopian/dystopian view

humans controlled and neutral

proposes that tech can be used for the +/- uses

7 periods of technology

stone age

ancient technology

the renaissance

enlightenment & revolution

industrial revolution

electric times

3rd and 4th industrial revolution

SCOT

relevant social groups

people who relate to tech and have a shared meaning of technology

existing tech can fail the adaptation into a group

older products become obsolete

interpretive flexibility

closure and stability

wider context

artifacts are not neutral in a socio-cultural context

tech means different things to different people

multi social settings

tech becomes a flexible tool when it gains prominence in society

social construction becomes embedded in the meaning

ANT
Actor Network Theory

a specific tech in stabilized around a term or object

norms and values help understand their value towards society

"everything in the world is a continuously generated effect of the webs of relations within which they are located"

seen as multi-dimensional, not linear

social or economic system

information society

system in which a specific tech is embedded

technical arrangement as forms of order

inventions, designs, or arrangements

become a way or settling issues in some communities

the bridge and the bus

grouping of lower class individuals

inherently political technologies

some tech that exist within specific social and political environments

their nature is to require a particular political order

otherwise the tech cannot exist

gemeinschaft and gesellschaft

  1. the idea of a community
  1. loose connections through bonds that are mainly goal oriented

the nation state

community lost

community saved

community liberated

the decline caused by industrialization and urbanization

when you are not connected to your community

people are bound to that community and the idea system

creating a pastoral community

family and friends are the main focus point

the community becomes grey and transformed into a whole new community

naive in thinking the world is the same as it was 200 years ago

social capital

Technology, Connection, and Absence

sums of valuable resources can be obtained through the social networks

utopian, dystopian, supplemental perspective

the final perspective sees what it actually happening

"rich get richer"

networked individualism

trade in social capital

internet allows a build and enhance social networks

multiple networks,
variety of roles

want to expand their networks

key figures

Artificial Intelligence & Transhumanism

Big Data and Surveillance Society

Ethics of Technology

Walter Ong

Harold Innis

Eric Havelock

primary and secondary morality

transforming power of media in human affairs

social reconstruction

2 groups

digital immigrants

digital natives

those born into a world full of technology

introduced to the internet later on in their lives

technology is neither good nor evil

Technology, Imperialism, Colonization, and Empire

civilizing mission

tech nutrality

linked to the idea of empire building

bring peace and order to areas where there were wars and conflicts

Europeans considered their continent to be the most progressive and advanced

technologies

telegraphs

railways

steam boats

justifications

European superiority

time, work, and nature

strong christian movement

rational/scientific thought would triumph over knowledge

justification for colonizing people

strong religious views

Europe was a dominant Christian society

believed to bring an end to Hinduism

cast system's would be abolished

mechanized clock

planetary predictions were too strong

new tech was becoming part of the natural world

steam powered many different systems

steam gun boats

Anglo war in 1820

allowed the British to bring reinforcements and supplies

opium war

blocked the Chinese canal

money was the motive

the indian mutiny

soldiers had to bite open the cartilage of their new rifles before insertion

had remnants of pork or beef fat

the soldiers went to destroy the telegraph lines first

opened up new territories

reinforced notion of being on time

helped colonizers keep charge of their districts

suppress growing rebellions

created markets for consumer goods

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related to critical theory

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only those who could afford cars could go under the bridge

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how do networked, bounded, and limited individuals connect at different stages of life?

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percentage of social media app usage in canada - 2017

top 10 devices used

The End of Absence

Kids these days

Communities

Absence

Technology

download

what our lives were before technology

two boys on the bus did not talk face-to-face

"we don't want to be alone
and yet don't want the hastle
that fellow humans
represent either, the digital
filter is an ideal compromise"
(Harris, 29)

they chose to communicate with each other digitally

By Michael Harris

become accustomed to leading a lesser authentic version of ourselves

a magazine doesn't do enough justice as the pull towards an electronic device

we lack what our ancestor's may have taken for granted

silence in our minds

ELIZA

code designed to produce text in same structured dialogue as humans

purpose was to create an ideal conversationalist

a tool of change

help us learn and develop from our past interactions

technopoles

how does society react to the technology?

centers of innovation

create new designs and keep their place in the global market

3 Questions

how can we find a way to contradict the pull tech has on us?

why can't we program all the information we forget into our phones?

how can we reconnect to the life we had before technology?

taking advantage of the tech at hand

reduce the time and energy towards our devices

can we escape a withdrawl?

can we grow and develop without it?

"new surveillance"

capitalism

connected to the 4th industrial revolution

surveillance is a multi-faced term

"watching over"

Surveillance capitalism

using data to improve and predict products, and anticipate when this will be done

Liquid surveillance

data flows between corporations, and government agencies

Snowden Case

exposed the corrupt liquid surveillance

"knowledge is power and power is control if you have mass amounts of data against people"

rationalism

a means of a disciple

used as a way to facilitate production

to monitor employees and whether or not they were working

can be used for power and control

movement towards the more rule-based forms of socialization

what are they based on so we can make rational choices

power

the main unit of analysis in many institutions

if we're not being observed then we are subjected to control

the ability to observe leads to power

"i'm being observed and i need to do the right thing otherwise I will be punished"

attention economy

"treats human attention as a scarce commodity and applies economic theory to solve information management problems"

creates a spread of extremist views

5V's of Big Data

volume, velocity, variety, veracity, value

points of resistance

point to potentials users

"Sousveillance"

form of counter surveillance

acknowledging that you know someone is watching, and you're watching back

privacy and protection strategies

all occur at micro-levels

online privacy depends on social norms and expectations and individual preferences

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4th industrial evolution

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Bentham’s model of the Panopticon

the visibility of power
the unverifiability of power

transhumanism

spoke of the book during this lecture

existential risk

key concepts

transhumanism, singularity, tech determinism, and future expectations

narratives

science fiction inspires technological evolution

"The more scientific and technical data we have, the more uncertain we become and the more the more we can see opportunities for risk or any existential risk"

trans-veganism

super-intelligence

smart AI

the matrix or the terminator

will potentially learn to keep its capabilities to itself

"The Godfather of AI"

fear over AI's capabilities

50% chance AI will be smarter humans in 5-15 years

super intelligence

how have they impacted the world, knowledge, understanding

advocating for human advancement through science and tech

humans surpassing their current limitations

super-longetivity

super-happiness

smaller trajectory

AI technology will integrate with the human body

enhancing cognition

preventing the agent

making a future with more/less A-future-I

by genetically altering the human body

defined by Nick Bostrom

"An intellect that gravely exceeds the cognitive performance of humans

narrow AI

strong AI

can only focus on one task

has a mind of its own

applies its intelligence to any problem; not constricted

singularity

a future period in which the pace of technological change will be rapid

its impact so deep human life will be universally transformed

"intelligence explosion"

criticized for being overly specular

image

By: Dea Lall

central themes

target groups

sociotechnical approach

technological equality

complex linkages between tech and society

the role within colonialism and imperialism

rapid tech advances

unprecedented social change

direction and type of effects

ethical dilemmas and changing uses

STS

tech inequality

help further develop transformations

tech as human destiny

innovation

irresponsible

modern

RRI

neglecting fundamental and ethical principles

market mechanisms

lack of precautionary measures & foresight

tech is produced in an uncontrolled way

gap between and innovation

global-digital divide

net neutrality

same access to internet all around

tech constrains our freedom

tech as progress

transhuman

tech-utopianism

questions to ask

"we're becoming products of tech"

need to critically question the role of tech

is technological change always necessary?

does it approve humanity?

are there unintended consequences?

does it reflect capitalist notions of society?

only a handful of corporations, and large demands

responsible research & innovation

steer and respond to tech and its development

need a sustainable development and society

will have to use specific ways

anticipation

inclusion

reflexivity

responsiveness

what will happen in the future

getting a wider perspective of ideas

what am i doing and why?

how are you going to do things differently?

feenburg's categorization