Science & Technology

Answer : With the growth and application of science and technology to control human environment, man’s relationship with nature has changed, which has produced far reaching changes in society. Thus according to Weber, overall consequences of science and technology is rationalization of society.

In earlier period, woman was dependent on man because of low muscle fat ratio and also mothering role. But automation of work helped in reducing the impact of these factors and led to egalitarian gender relations. In some countries fertility rate has declined to replacement level. Thus the stature, status, and role of women have changed with the development of science and technology.

Some scholars also criticize the negative consequences of science and technology in changing the status of women. They consider that technology is more inclined to men than women and it is patriarchal in nature.

India has achieved higher technological advancement during last decade. The Green Revolution, which focuses on increasing yields of rice and wheat, entails a shift in inputs from human to technical. Women’s participation, knowledge and inputs are marginalized, and their role has shifted from being “primary producers to subsidiary workers.” Women work longer hours and their work is more arduous than men’s, yet their work is unrecognized.

There are tremendous effects of information technology on women’s employment and the nature of women’s work in all third world countries including India.But in areas of technology, till today women represent about 10 % of researchers and about 5% of manager. The impact of information technology on society has not been uniformly beneficial, and the technological divide is being increasingly felt, especially in the developing countries. Serious obstacles still continue in achieving gender equality.

Hence, it should be noted that scientific and technological advancement should meet the necessity of society, advantageous to the people, compatible with overall culture, where advantages overweigh the costs. Thus, technology should be powerful tools for women to overcome discrimination, achieve full equality and higher well-being.

Answer : Social change is a long term process happening in almost every aspect of society viz. social institutions, economic organizations, etc. Many factors such as law, education and religion contribute to it.

But, it is the science and technology which accelerates this process by first changing itself and then putting pressure on other aspects to change. Marx first highlighted the importance of science and technology in terms of forces of production leading to changes in relations of production. Leslie White argued that when there is increase in per capita consumption of a society then the techno-economic component puts pressure on organizational component of culture to change.

But, when this change happens without any change in cultural aspects of society then it creates conflict which Ogburn called as “Cultural Lag”. He explains further that any technological change demands a social support system which needs social reorganization. For example, automobiles need roads, engineers, fuel stations, etc. In India, technological changes have impacted the lives of people in many ways. It includes gender equality as women are getting employment, economic growth with increase in efficiency, secularization of life goals is happening and new methods of learning has opened new vistas for the young generation.

Although science and technology accelerates the social change but it will be more peaceful if these changes are indigenous and slow. Also, they must be acceptable to all. Otherwise, some affected groups can use the same technology to stop its spread.

Answer : A social movement is defined as a sustained collective action which must have a change orientation. It requires ideology, leadership and a loose organization to coordinate its activities.

Various reasons for social movement to happen are a sense of relative deprivation and mismatch between capabilities and aspirations. Neil. J. Smelser has identified six conditions which are sufficient for a social movement. These are structural conduciveness, structural strain, generalized beliefs, precipitating factor, mobilization for action and failure of social control.

Social reform movements have an important role in social change. They critically analyze the norms and traditions present in the present society. With the acculturative contact with the outside world, a society gets exposed to new ideas and that facilitates the change. For example, in India, British exposed us to the ideas of equality, individualism, liberty and fraternity. Inspired by these ideals, many educated Indians fought against the dogmatic and conservative beliefs present in traditional Indian society.

According to MSA Rao, the reform movements seek a limited change often in a gradual manner and rely on the legitimate methods to bring about that change. For example, in India various social reformers such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy (Arya Samaj), Dayanand Saraswati (Brahmo Samaj) and Vivekananda (Ramkrishna Mission) fought against child marriage, sati, widow remarriage and inhuman treatment. By pressurizing British they succeeded in passing laws against them.

Answer : Empirical means which can be verified with the observation and experiments. Non- empirical is one which can’t be verified and have to be accepted as such. Though they are opposite in this sense both of them are means to a common end of human welfare and well being of society. Therefore, in social life they both are complementary.

Science is useful in increasing efficiency and making the life easier by providing constant inventions. But, today in this fast moving world there is environment of uncertainty which creates anxiety in the minds of people. As science can’t relieve this anxiety because there is no finality in science, there is only probability. According to Malinowsky, it is the religion which relieves the anxiety by promising absolute rewards. For example, many civil service aspirants after failing twice or thrice in exam go to priests for their success. In, this way they are complementary to each other. But, in the end they are serving the same purpose.

As society is becoming more and more consumerist it is degrading the environment. Because of this natural balance is getting disturbed. Recently, many devotees who went to the temples of Uttarakhand died because of bad weather leading to floods. In this way, religion failed to provide logical end of providing blessings to the pilgrims. So, there is limitation of religion and in that sense science too. Being non-empirical it is impossible to judge the validity of religion.

Answer : Industrial democracy is such a system in which effort has been taken to confirm the execution of responsibility of laborers, inclusion in decision making process and their rights and authority. Industrial democracy is like a organizational form which tries to confirm the extensive partnership of labor in production system. In this form of Industrial democracy, labor execute their role without any pressure at all level in formation of system, conduction and management.

Modern industrial economy has adopted many aspects of this Industrial democracy so that fast development may be possible in production process. In this type of Industrial democracy, task is performed like a team work.

This form of Industrial democracy is most famous in Scandinavian countries, Netherlands, Germany, Japan, U.K. etc. Industrial democracy is also called work field democracy. In reality, Industrial democracy model talks about better production system along with complete development of labor. Here, rights of laborers are protected by assuming that they are inseparable part of production process.

Today the formation of beneficial system of laborers for the expansion of production process in developed countries is a gift of this Industrial democracy.

This system checks the alienation of laborers. This type of system has become popular in modern industrial system. In this era of globalization, due to market economy new forms of production are being invented. Methods to study relation between labor and production have clearly favored Industrial democracy. In reality this form pays attention on benefits of laborers.

Answer : A change in stabilized form of social relation, social values, and structure or sub system is known as social change. Revolutionary change is one form of social change. Revolutionary change represents sudden and fundamental changes in the social structure of any society or in its important social, economic or political aspect. By revolutionary changes, basic structure changes comes into position of change. Generally this type of revolutionary changes is connected with political and sudden violent changes.

Revolutionary changes present an example of structural change in society. The main aim of this type of change is to bring about radical changes. To root out old basic social structure and institutions and to stabilize new system is the main aim of such changes. In revolutionary social change, the main aim is to root out the ownership of property, family rule, institutions related with political system and establishment of new system. In the revolutionary social changes ownership of property, family, institutions related with political system, different classes of society, castes, basic cultural thoughts and beliefs are changed by new views and ideology-related assumptions. This type of change is known as structural change.

For example, in many countries of the world, system has been changed by revolution taking Mar- xist assumptions as base. Revolutionary changes are not always violent.

For example, development of science and technological knowledge has done well for the speedy changes in society. In the 17th century, industrial revolution has played influential role in bringing the radical structural change in European society. Development of science and tech has started new institutions and demolished irrational beliefs and assumptions etc. of old institutions. In Europe superstition spread in the society by Church-like main institutions was removed by the rational ability influenced by science and given new direction to the society by explaining it in new context.