Sociology Chapter 8: Media & Technology

cyberfeminism

the application to and promotion of feminism online

design patents

patents that are granted when someone has invented a new and original design for a manufactured product

digital divide

the uneven access to technology around race, class, and geographic lines

e-readiness

the ability to sort through, interpret, and process digital knowledge

evolutionary model of technological change

a breakthrough in one form of technology that leads to a number of variations, from which a prototype emerges, followed by a period of slight adjustments to the technology, interrupted by a breakthrough

gatekeeping

the sorting process by which thousands of possible messages are shaped into a mass media-appropriate form and reduced to a manageable amount

knowledge gap

the gap in information that builds as groups grow up without access to technology

media

all print, digital, and electronic means of communication

media consolidation

a process by which fewer and fewer owners control the majority of media outlets

media globalization

the worldwide integration of media through the cross-cultural exchange of ideas

neo-Luddites

those who see technology as a symbol of the coldness of modern life

net neutrality

the principle that all Internet data should be treated equally by internet service providers

new media

all interactive forms of information exchange

oligopoly

a situation in which a few firms dominate a marketplace

panoptic surveillance

a form of constant monitoring in which the observation posts are decentralized and the observed is never communicated with directly

planned obsolescence

the act of a technology company planning for a product to be obsolete or unable from the time it's created

plant patents

patents that recognize the discovery of new plant types that can be asexually reproduced

technological diffusion

the spread of technology across borders

technological globalization

the cross-cultural development and exchange of technology

technology

the application of science to solve problems in daily life

technophiles

those who see technology as symbolizing the potential for a brighter future

utility patents

patents that are granted for the invention or discovery of any new and useful process, product, or machine