13.4 Theoretical perspectives on media and technology  (Page 6/16)

Summary

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.

Short answer

Further research

To learn more about cyberfeminism, check out the interdisciplinary artist collective, subRosa: (External Link)

To explore the implications of panoptic surveillance, review some surveillance studies at the free, open source Surveillance and Society site: (External Link)

Read an example of socialist media from Jacobin magazine here: (External Link)

References

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