Instructor Wrap Up - The Technology and the Society - Williams

The Technology and the Society.  Wow, this was an interesting read considering the state of our society, and how television currently fits into our collective daily lives.  You can read more about Raymond Williams by clicking on his name.  Wikkipedia  gives a nice overview of Williams, and even describes in a sentence or two the background of this chapter (hint: it includes McLuhan).  This was a chapter out of Willams's book titled Television: Technology and Cultural Form, published in 1972.

The introduction to this chapter is quite interesting.  Although I did not copy the intro for you to focus on,  it really gives some context to this chapter from Williams's book. One section early in the introduction states, "Technological determinism, a viewpoint for which Marshall McLuhan is the canonical figure in media studies, tends to frame questions around technology in terms of technology's "effects" on the culture.  This viewpoint has been rejected, or greatly qualified in its use, by most academic writers since McLuhan.  However, it remains the dominant popular discourse on technology, and many academic writers remain engaged in outlining their positions as alternatives to this viewpoint.  For these reasons, Williams's early section presenting a number of different varieties of technological determinism remains quite relevant today."  (Don't forget to click on the link to technological determinism.  This will help you grasp what Willams is talking about in this selection.)

The introduction starts out by saying, "It is often said that television has altered our world.  In the same way, people often speak of a new world, a new society, a new phase of history, being created - "brought about" - by this or that new technology: the steam-engine, the automobile, the atomic bomb."  So true, isn't it?  We still share the same sentiment when new technologies come along. To the credit of Williams, and countless others, a new phase of history really was ushered in by each of the 'new technologies' Willams mentioned here.  Looking at our current technologies, the internet for example, how much have our lives changed simply from the ability to access the internet? 

Williams goes on to describe a cause/effect relationship of technology/society, technology/culture, technology/psychology.  A little lower down on the same page (pg. 291), he goes on to mention that, "If the technology is a cause, we can at best modify or seek to control its effects."  Valid questions for research.  In fact, the first page mentions this very thing.

The following page states the point of the chapter:  "It is with these problems in mind that I want to try to anaylse television as particular cultural technology, and to look at its development, its institutions, its forms and its effects, in this critical dimension."  He then states the three sections that he will be covering in the paper, which are:

(a) versions of cause and effect in technology and society
(b) the social history of television as a technology
(c) the social history of the uses of television technology

I won't bore you with a recount of the entire article, but I will share a few interesting quotes with you.  At the bottom right hand side of page 292, Williams gives a summary of the 9 items he outlines.  1-5 are said to be: "the technology is in effect accidental".  In other words, technology is the cause for change.  6-9 says, "television is again, in effect, a technological accident, but its significance lief in its uses, which are held to be symptomatic of some order of society or some qualities of human nature which are otherwise determined."  In other words, the change would have happened regardless of technology.  Go back and read that section, it's very interesting to think about.

Reading through the rest of section (a) proves to be really interesting.  Williams covers the ideas of "technological determinism", the 'otherwise determined', and 'symptomatic technology'.  Very interesting indeed.

Section (b) covers the history of television, which proves to be incredibly interesting for those of us that grew up in an era of the internet and beyond.  It is worth paying close attention to, as these are forms of 'new media'.

Section (c) goes over the uses of television technology.  An even more interesting section than the last, though section (b) was really interesting for me.  ;)  The current section starts out by saying, "It is never quite true to say that in modern societies, when a social need has been demonstrated, it is appropriate technology will be found.  This is partly because real needs, in any particular period, are beyond the scope of existing or foreseeable scientific and technical knowledge."  The following section is a discussion of television, and what brought it to the current point in the early 1970's.

All in all, this was a very interesting article from an historical perspective of the television.  Taking into account the links I have provided here, and we've got an incredible glimpse into that particular stage of history.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I have.

Until later....
The Blogging Prof.