238 Outcome: Theoretical Perspectives on Media and Technology

Discuss media and technology through various sociological viewpoints

There are myriad theories about how society, technology, and media will progress. Functionalism sees the contribution that technology and media provide to the stability of society, from facilitating leisure time to increasing productivity. Conflict theorists are more concerned with how technology reinforces inequalities among communities, both within and among countries. They also look at how media typically give voice to the most powerful, and how new media might offer tools to help those who are disenfranchised. Symbolic interactionists see the symbolic uses of technology as signs of everything from a sterile futuristic world to a successful professional life.

What you’ll learn to do:

• Apply the structural-functional theory to media and technology
• Apply the conflict and feminist theories to media and technology
• Apply the symbolic interactionist theory to media and technology

Learning Activities

The learning activities for this section include:

• Reading: Functionalism on Media and Technology
• Reading: Conflict Perspective on Media and Technology
• Reading: Symbolic Interactionism on Media and Technology
• Self-Check: Theoretical Perspectives on Media and Technology