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Examining the Digital World Through The Use Of Sociological Theory

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Examining the Digital World Through The Use Of Sociological Theory

Conflict theory

Karl Max proposed conflict theory, and it postulates that as a result of the constant competition in society for limited resources, there will always be a state of conflict. This implies that those who are enriched with resources and wealth will always strive to protect and hoard what they have. On the other hand, the poor who have nothing will do whatever is in their power to obtain them. As a result, there will always be a constant struggle between the haves and the have nots.

Symbolic interaction theory

Symbolic interaction theory opines that the society we live in is based on the interpretations of the people in it. It analyses the society by the descriptive or symbolic meaning that people attach to objects, events, and behaviors in the process of social interactions. The descriptive meanings are given primarily because it is believed people behave based on what they believe and not just on what is objectively true.

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Conflict theory in the context technology and the development of the digital world

The advancement in technology and digitization was initially seen to be the tool to create equality and bridge the gaps existing in society today. However, this has proved otherwise. Much technological advancement has been structured in a way that has begun to reflect societal inequality. For instance, the use of new media platforms is mostly used to give voice to the most powerful in society. In addition, some multinational corporations have taken advantage of new technologies to widen the gap between the rich and the poor through unorthodox business practices. On the other hand, some technological inventions have been at the forefront of addressing societal problems such as peacebuilding among warring communities.

Symbolic interaction theory in the context technology and the development of the digital world

Symbolic interaction theory can be used to explain how people associate themselves with technology. By perceiving technology as a symbol, various people view the subject differently. Technology has become a new way of stratifying people into categories in society, resulting in the emergence of neo-Luddites and technophiles. While neo-Luddites view technology as being a symbol of coldness and alienation in modern life, technophiles opine that it is a sign of civilization and potential for a brighter future.

Societal changes in recent past and contributing factors

In the past several decades, society has witnessed massive changes with respect to social and economic spheres. These changes include the rising population numbers, rise in rural-urban migration, changes in housing technologies, communication technology, transport systems, climate change, and the emergence of artificial intelligence. The changes are a result of several factors, including technology, social institutions, population, and the environment.

Technology has changed the way people live and interact with each other. For example, technology has made communication more accessible and cheaper, with the advent of mobile telephony and social media. Transportation has been made easier with the advent of new modes of transport in air, water, rail, and road. Besides, manufacturing processes have drastically improved thanks to the use of computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing.

Social institutions have also resulted in societal changes. A shift in a single social institution results in changes in all social institutions. For instance, changes in governance structure impact profoundly on how society is led. The clamor for democratization has gained momentum across the globe, with people championing for more freedoms from their elected leaders.

Population changes in the past several decades have had ripple effects on societal changes. The world population has drastically increased to unimaginable levels over the past twenty years, thanks to improvement in reproductive healthcare services. With population increase also comes new changes. For example, the struggle for limited resources like employment opportunities has become a real problem in the modern world. Overexploitation of natural resources to satisfy the growing demand is another challenge with population growth, and conversely, that has led to environmental degradation.

Changes in the environment over the past few decades have been affected by several causes, including technology, human population, among others. Human populations have, for instance, moved into vulnerable ecosystems, which have resulted in the rise in the number of people being affected by natural disasters. The effects of global warming and greenhouse gases are now more evident with extreme weather patterns and other adverse effects.

Technological growth and change in the recent past

Technological changes and growth in the past several decades have affected many sectors of the economy, such as transport, communication, manufacturing, trade, and commerce. Examples in the transport industry include new trends in air transport such as self-driving aircraft towing vehicles, autonomous cargo and shuttle buses, artificial intelligence, un-manned aircraft systems, and chatbots. In water transport, trends include the advent of autonomous ports and ships, human-robot interactions, and airborne and underwater drone technology. In road transport, changes include the advent of autonomous vehicles, virtual signage, and automated long-haul freight vehicles while in the rail transport, emerging trends include driverless trains, independent drive units, hydrogen trains, and standard gauge rails.

In the field of business, technology has revolutionized how business is conducted through email and office applications, web conferencing, social media advertising, 3D advertising, webinar applications, mobile applications, and content management systems, among others.

In communication, critical technological advances include the advent of mobile telephony, satellite communication, internet, and social media, email services, fiber optics, smart devices such as tablets, and cell phones, among others.

In the manufacturing sector, examples of technological growth and changes include nanotechnology, advanced data analytics, and predictive technologies, augmented reality, robotics and artificial intelligence, 3D printing, and horizontal and vertical systems integration.

Direct correlations between the technologies that exist and the changes that have occurred at the organizational and societal levels in the past several decades

There is a direct correlation between existing technologies and the changes that have occurred at the organizational and societal levels. At the corporate level, for instance, technology has revolutionized the way business is conducted. Technological advances have necessitated the evolution of new types of managerial, diplomatic, and social skills and the need for new decision making processes to suit changing organizational needs. Due to increasing competition and uncertainty in the market, there is a need for diversification and improvement of quality of products and services on offer by organizations, and this can only be achieved through integrating modern technology such as 3D advertising. Besides, technology has affected essential management functions influencing how key functions such as planning, decision making, control, and coordination. Today, these functions heavily rely on computer-based management science techniques, which require a higher intellectual capability of managers. Essentially, technological changes and growth at the organizational level have given rise to the need for strategic planning in organizations.

At the societal level, changes in technology have influenced every aspect of social interaction across the world. Changes in technology have impacted society at both macro and micro scales. On the macro scale, technological changes have shaped all the major social institutions, including economics, politics, religion, family, education, science, and technology, among others, while on the micro-scale the changes have affected people’s values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.

Digital divide

Digital divide refers to the differing amounts of information between people and regions with access to modern information and communications technologies and those that do not have or have restricted access.  It is also called digital split. The gap occurs in possession of technology, including mobile phones, television, personal computers, and the internet. The gap occurs between cities and rural regions, educated people and illiterates, developing countries and industrialized countries, and between different socioeconomic classes.

Factors that contribute to the digital divide

Several factors are responsible for the digital divide in the world. They include access to technology, socioeconomic status, age, personal interest, location of residence, corruption and bureaucracy, poor infrastructure, literacy levels.

Socioeconomic factors that cause the digital divide are as a result of poverty. In the less developed nations, the problem of poverty contributes significantly to the digital divide in such a way that many people are unable to purchase ICT equipment, let alone access internet services. Wealthier people have more access to digital technology as compared to poor people.

Corruption and bureaucracy in some countries worsen the digital gap. In these countries, the funds and resources needed to bridge the digital divide are sometimes deviated away and pocketed by corrupt officials denying the citizens access to the vital necessity.

Literacy levels also contribute to the digital divide. Educated people have more access to ICT technologies as compared to uneducated people. This is because digital technologies require that people have some minimal skills on how to use and apply the technology to solve their specific problems.

The location of residence widens the digital divide in that people in urban centers are more connected with ICT technologies than their rural counterparts.  In many urban centers, there are high-speed broadband networks that are absent in rural areas due to the associated costs of connecting rural areas, which are, in most cases, inaccessible.

How to combat the digital divide

To bridge the digital gap, several interventions are required including increasing digital literacy, making broadband more affordable for low-income homes, tackling corruption, and increasing rural coverage

Increasing digital literacy is essential in solving the digital split problem. There is a need for authorities, institutions, and organizations to increase availability and education for the masses on digital literacy. Learning institutions are at the center of bridging the existing gap by providing technology training in their programs. Besides other stakeholders in ICT, such as communication, companies should increase public education programs to enlighten the masses on how to get connected digitally.

Making broadband and smart devices more affordable for low-income homes will bridge the existing gap between the have and the have nots. The difference is created as a result of poor people being unable to purchase broadband internet and smart devices such as personal computers and smartphones.

Corruption is a significant contributor to the gap since resources meant to increase coverage are wired elsewhere to benefit corrupt individuals. Combating corruption can go a long way in ensuring that access to ICT services is made available to many citizens.

Increasing coverage of ICT technologies to rural areas also significantly reduces the digital divide. Governments, in partnership with the private sector, should invest in the infrastructure needed to cover the rural areas so as to connect them with the rest of the country.

How the digital divide applies to my store

The store has inadequate ICT equipment such as office computers and internet services. As a result, some office transactions are conducted at home from personal computers and in public cybercafes. This phenomenon has a lot of limitations in terms of the quality of work done and the security of company information. Solving this problem through the acquisition of more office computers will enhance efficiency at the workplace through improving time management, enhanced ease of use, proper email management, and comfortability. Also, the risk of company secrets getting into the wrong hands will be eliminated. This will also improve the image of the company hence give it a competitive advantage in the market.

Applicable Theoretical perspective

The symbolic interaction theory can best be applied to the store to help counter the effects of the digital divide. By bridging the existing digital gap, the store will address many challenges it is facing and the application of the ideals of the symbolic interaction theory, it will improve its standing among its peers. With an improved social status, the store will enhance its reputation hence increase profitability. Integrating ICT technologies into its operations will enhance employee morale and therefore boost performance and quality of output. The store will thus gain a significant competitive advantage over others that do not embrace digital technology. The level of digitization of store operations will determine how the store is rated by both its internal stakeholders and the external environment.

 

 

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