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Homework answers / question archive / Assessment 1 Number: 460, excluding the title page and reference list Three references are needed in this assessment task
Assessment 1 Number: 460, excluding the title page and reference list Three references are needed in this assessment task. Description of assessment task: In our discussion of the socio-cultural lens, we examined the various dimensions and features of culture. Among other things, culture is shared by members of a group and exists at “multiple levels of society” where small and large groups and communities exist (families, companies and organisations, as well as national and societies and global communities). At the same time, culture is dynamic and cultural changes can be precipitated by many different factors such as economic development and secularization. Technological development is one such factor. In this provocative interview about his work, Yuval Noah Harari talks about what he calls “dataism”—the contemporary technological developments in big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, etc.—and its transformative influence on “humanity”. Harari argues that some things will be better (e.g., medical care), and others, worse (digital surveillance, personalised discrimination, etc.). Nevertheless, these changes are transformative. For this self-reflection piece, please select a cultural element that is important or relevant to you and reflect on how a particular contemporary technology of your choice radically or fundamentally transforms that cultural element. Think about the definitions and examples of culture we discussed when choosing a cultural element (such as work, love, handshake, the corporation, vacation, education, the Olympics, popular music, etc.). Please reflect on the following: (1) the nature and meaning of the cultural element and its importance or relevance to you (2) how and why the technology under consideration alters that cultural element (3) the consequence(s) of the change for the group to which the cultural element is particularly important and relevant. In writing your reflection please be specific about the cultural element and technology of your choice and the transformative change you are thinking about. Use and incorporate course concepts and ideas in your self-reflection.
Cultural Elements and Technology
The family is an element of culture. It is a domestic and intimate group comprised of people connected and related to each other through the bonds of legal ties, sexual mating, or blood. The family is recognized as the simplest and most basic unit of society (Mondal, 2014). Although I have met a lot of people and made a lot of friends throughout my life, my family always holds a special place in my heart. We love and care about each other, and our motto has always been “family first.” As the years' progress, children become adults and leave their homes. This does not mean that the ties should become weaker. I have personally made sure that I talk to my parents and siblings as often as I can. Another factor of such relationships is conflict. Conflict is inevitable, but whenever I find myself in conflict with family members, I always prioritize looking for a resolution.
The technology in question here is smartphones. We live in a time when technology runs most of our lives. Nearly 75% of the world’s population has phones today. This has very much transformed how people interact on a societal scale. Such transformations can also be seen on the family level. For instance, nearly 50% of children between the ages of 5 to 10 own smartphones (Petter, 2020). In the past, mobile phones were rare, and it was common for only adults to own them. Mobile phones themselves have changed in how they are used. This means that they are no longer bulky gadgets that are limited to one or two functions only. For this reason, the frequency and the duration of the use of mobile phones have increased within the family.
There are indeed consequences of this change for the family. There is far less physical and active interaction among the members of the family. It is possible to find all family members with a mobile phone in their hands, laughing at things they see online, and they are not talking to each other. Sometimes, teenagers lock themselves up in their rooms and stay on their phones for prolonged periods of time. Parents often get frustrated when they feel as if all of their child’s attention is sucked up by these devices. They also become annoyed when lesser chores get done because children have their phones in their hands “all day.” With a good internet connection, children may prefer to turn to Google for answers to their curiosity rather than ask their parents, who are probably too busy on their mobile phones. Some families even go to the extent of texting each other while in the house (The Guardian, 2019). In other words, mobile phones have negatively affected how family members interact and communicate with each other.
OUTLINE
CULTURAL ELEMENTS AND TECHNOLOGY
Thesis Statement: The family is an element of culture. It is a domestic and intimate group comprised of people connected and related to each other through the bonds of legal ties, sexual mating, or blood. The family is recognized as the simplest and most basic unit of society. The technology in question here is smartphones. We live in a time when technology runs most of our lives. Nearly 75% of the world’s population has phones today.
