3.  coined by Thorstein Veblem  Marshall McLuhan:“The medium IS the message.”  "Technology determines history" Rosalind Williams

4.  technology drives the development of its social structure and cultural values  society organizes itself in such a way to support and further develop a technology once it has been introduced.

5.  follows its own predictable, traceable path

6. Technology created:  “the steam age”  “the electrical age”  “the information age”

7.  “Can’t stop progress”  "societies fail to be aware of the alternatives to the values embedded in it [technology]" Merrit Roe Smith

8.  The design of technology tends to dictate users' behaviors  “[technology’s] functions follow from its form“ Neil Postman

9.  Hard Determinists- We have no choice regarding the outcome. Technology will determine this.  Soft Determinists- Technology is the guiding force of our evolution but we have a chance to make decisions.

10. What are the pitfalls of technological determinism?

11.  One-sided perspective  No ‘free will’ because technology will lead us rather than society itself  Fails to consider social and political needs

12.  We will not be critical of technology since it is the technology that will determine how society will evolve

13. How viable is this notion-- is there any justification for it? Throughout history technology has impacted, if not directed, the evolution of societies: ◦ Written word ◦ Printing press ◦ Telephone ◦ Internet

14. How viable is this notion-- is there any justification for it? ◦ Most scholars are skeptic of this view of technology ◦ “The relationship between technology and society cannot be reduced to a simplistic cause-and-affect formula. It is, rather, an ‘intertwining’”, whereby technology does not determine but "...operates, and are operated upon in a complex social field" (Murphie and Potts, page 21)

15. References 1.Chandler, D. (unknown). Technological or media determinism. Retrieved June 2, 2009, from http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/tecdet/tec det.html http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/tecdet/tec det.html 2.Kimble, C. (unknown). Retrieved June 2, 2009, from http://www.chris-kimble.com/Courses/cis/cis4.html http://www.chris-kimble.com/Courses/cis/cis4.html 3.Murphie, A., & Potts, J. (2003). Culture and technology. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire ; New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 4.Postman, Neil. (1992). Technopoly. Vintage: New York. pp. 3–20.