GNED 06 Lecture 08: Technology and Evolution of Human Society Transcript

Slide 1: Title Page

Good day students, we are done discussing how understanding of human beings
lead to the understanding of science and technology. Today, we will focus on how
technological advancements affected changes in the human society.
I am Sir/Ma’am ____, your guide for this audio lecture.
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Slide 2: Table of Contents

The content of this lecture will be as follows: Introduction to the human society’s
evolution from being nomads to tech-savvy individuals, the Classification of Society
according to Alvin Toffler, National Development through science and technology, and an
Integration of the topics discussed in this lecture as conclusion.
Let’s get started.
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Slide 3: Introduction: Evolution of Human Society

We have previously discussed the historical antecedents in the world in relation to
STS. And from there, we have seen how development in the understanding of their
environment and changes in the availability of resources and tools consequently lead to
scientific and technological revolutions. These revolutions marked the shifts of human
society in the way they think and act. Let’s take a look at these societal changes one by one.
First is the hunter and gatherer society. They are only dependent on the resources
available in nature. Their hunting tools were made from stones, wood, bone, ivory as evident
in the Paleolithic age (specifically until Mesolithic period). The humans in this society are
nomads, changing settlements from time to time, moving towards areas with abundant
resources for their survival.
The society that followed was the shifters and farmers society. The shift to this
type of society became possible after they learned how to tame/domesticate animals and
cultivate crops. The process of mining was also discovered by this society. Is this type of
society still nomads with no permanent settlements? Definitely not. It is when they learned
how to produce their own food that they started living in permanent settlements because
there is no need for them to travel long distances in search for food.
The next one is the manufacturing/processing society. Humans in this society
discovered coal, gas, and oil used in cooking. These discoveries paved the way for
industrialization. From small scale production, during this time factory-scale production
became the norm for manufacturing businesses.
 The future man-made world is how we will describe where we are now. It is where
technologies are used for producing synthetic food and for recycling resources to satisfy the
increasing human needs. In previous societies, they relied on what is available in nature and
made something useful out of it. But now, we are able to create synthetic materials that are
results of our scientific knowledge and creativity alone.
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Slide 4: Classification of Society

Here is another way of looking at the evolution of human society. This is called
Classification of Society proposed by Alvin Toffler. He classified societies based on the
concept of waves where each wave propels the older societies and cultures aside. Toffler is
an American writer and futurist known for his works discussing the digital evolution,
communication evolution, and technological singularity.
This is similar to the evolution of human society we have discussed previously but the
hunter/gatherers society was not included. Apart from that, this is just another approach to
the same concept. Let’s start.
The first wave society is the one that replaced hunters/gatherers after agrarian
revolution. Basically, this society is composed of farmers. Likewise, small scale technologies
were produced which came to existence through trial and error.
The second wave society is similar to the manufacturing/processing society previously
discussed. This society flourished during the period of industrial revolution until the end of
World War II. Likewise, scientific knowledge spread across the world for the first time during
this time hence the inventions produced/manufactured in this period were based on scientific
advancements in the fields of physics, biology, and chemistry. This society was
characterized by mass production, mass consumption, mass distribution and even
production of weapons of mass destruction.
Lastly, we have the third wave society characterized as a post-industrialized society
after World War II. People used modern technologies such as computers, robotics, and the
like to create products and even do daily life activities. This society is associated with
scientific-technological evolution.
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Slide 5: Kinds of Technology

We have five general types of technology: energy, equipment, information, life, and
materials technology.
We have different sources of energy; some are eco-friendly while some are not.
Generally, an energy source that harms humans, whether directly or indirectly, is not
considered a good source. What are some examples? Let’s take a look at energy derived
from burning coal. Do you think it is a good source of energy? Kindly pause this audio to
ponder on this.
As technology advances, our energy source options also increased. We can now
generate energy from wind, from solar panels, hydrothermal vents, and even waste products
of animals (this is what we call biogas). The goal of experts in this field is to generate,
convert, and distribute energy without causing negative effects to humans and the
environment.
Next we have equipment technology. This include design and fabrication of
different instruments, tools, gadgets, and machines that aim to create another product. It is
more of tools for manufacturing such as laser, robots, spinning wheel, and different types of
motors.
Another is information technology. This type of technology includes tools and
gadgets used to manage, process, and distribute information. I bet you are all familiar with
these kinds of technology.
Next is life technology. This technology as its name implies is made for
preservation, maintenance, treatment, and reproduction of living things. Common examples
are genetic engineering, vaccines, antibiotic, organ transplant, surgery, and herbal medicine.
Lastly, we have materials technology. This technology is involved in extraction,
fabrication, and synthesis of materials specifically for the benefit of mankind. Examples are
mostly raw materials or those simple things needed in day to day activities such as iron
brass, porcelain, ceramics, and plastics.
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Slide 6: Then Vs. Now

Because of the different classifications of technology and its abundance at that, the
rate at which a certain technology is being replaced becomes faster. What examples do you
have in mind of certain type of technology that changes and upgrades quickly? Kindly pause
this audio and think of that specific technology.
The real question is how or why these changes happen rapidly. Let’s take a look
at the following concepts.
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Slide 7: Substitution and Diffusion

Substitution is the process wherein technologies which may have been used for a
very long time already are replaced by the new and better version especially with respect to
performance and functionality. This occurs rapidly in this modern age of technology because
if we are not satisfied, we tend to ask for more.
On the other hand, when we talk about diffusion it is the process by which an
innovation is communicated through various channels and subsequently adopted over time
among members of a society. Some cultures tend to adopt new products more quickly than
others, based on several factors:
Modernity: The extent to which the culture is receptive to new things. In some
countries, such as Britain and Saudi Arabia, tradition is greatly valued—thus, new products
often don’t fare too well. The United States, in contrast, tends to value progress.
 Homophily: The more similar to each other that members of a culture are, the more
likely an innovation is to spread—people are more likely to imitate similar than different
models. The two most rapidly adopting countries in the World are the U.S. and Japan.
While the U.S. interestingly scores very low, Japan scores high.
Physical distance: The greater the distance between people, the less likely
innovation is to spread.
Opinion leadership: The more opinion leaders are valued and respected, the more
likely an innovation is to spread. The style of opinion leaders moderates this influence,
however. In less innovative countries, opinion leaders tend to be more conservative, i.e., to
reflect the local norms of resistance.
So you may want think of an innovation and try to remember or even research on
how it was adopted (or not) by the Philippine society.
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Slide 8: National Development through Science and Technology

The continuous changes and different types of technologies help in improving our
national development. Most, if not all, component of a nation uses science and technology.
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Slide 9: National Development Indicators

Here are the following national development indicators that we will discuss: (refer to
the slide)
Let us discuss them one by one.
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Slide 10: GDP and Per Capita Income

GDP or gross domestic product measures the income or the expenditures WITHIN
the country. It represents the money spent by consumers in buying goods, the income from
business establishments as well as government investments. Simply put, it represents the
total value of goods produced and services provided in a country in a year. This does not
include remittances from OFWs since it was generated overseas.
Per Capita Income, on the other hand, is the average income earned by a person in
a particular city, region, or country. It is one way of measuring the economic status and the
quality of life in different areas. This data is acquired through census by the Philippine
Statistics Authority.
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Slide 11: Income Distribution and GNP
Income Distribution is the measure of how the total gross domestic product of the
country is equally distributed among its members/people. Simply put it is the distribution of
rich and poor. Here in the country, there is somehow an imbalance in the distribution of
wealth since only 1% of the population controls most of the wealth in the country. Talk about
equity.
Gross National Product, on the other hand, is the sum of ALL the goods and
services produced in a country per year by its people. In can be represented through this
formula: (Income of people + Income overseas) – income paid to foreigners.
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Slide 12: Employment Rate and Structure of Labor Force

The employment rate is the measure at which all the available labor resources are
being utilized. It is computed as the ratio of the employed to the working age population (18
years old and above). We can say that if the rate is above 70%, it is high while a low ratio
would be below 50%. As of January 2020, according to PSA, the employment rate in our
country is 94.7%. But due to the pandemic, the employment rate fell to 82.3% leaving
additional 7.3 million Filipinos jobless.
Structure of labor force is the sum total of all the men and women who are able to
work, be employed or unemployed. The ratio of employment to the population is usually
higher for men than in women. Why? Because according to a study conducted in the U.S.,
employers tend to hire men over women with the same qualifications, not because of gender
discrimination alone, but employers think that men can deliver better results than women. I
hope no one from this class thinks of it that way.
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Slide 13: Human Life Expectancy and Percentage of Urban Population

Human Life Expectancy is the average number of years an individual or a group of

people could be expected to live or simply people’s life span. In the Philippines, these are
the numbers: For male – 66.2 years while for female – 72.6. Why do you think so?
According to numerous studies these are the reasons why men have shorter life span: they
take bigger risks, have more dangerous jobs, die of heart disease more often and at a
younger age, and commit suicide more often than women. So boys, if you have problems,
do not keep it to yourself. Bravery is not about machismo but being true to oneself.

Lastly, we have percentage of urban population. It is the percentage of people

living in urbanized area not depending upon agricultural products and other government
services. Do you agree with this? Yes, it may be the world standard but I personally believe
that we can thrive despite our country’s agricultural nature if only we will put much value on
our farmers.
 To wrap it all up, it goes without saying that a nation’s development and improvement
is assessed to a large extent by the status of its science and technology. Usually, a
scientifically unsophisticated society would mean it is an underdeveloped nation in all
sectors.

Without proper implementation of science and technology, no nation could grow. And
we, as Filipinos who make up this society hold equal responsibility for the growth of our
country. Yes, the government plays a major role in these implementations but we must also
do our part in advancing science and technology in order for our nation to rise. We must aim
to develop different technologies and consequent industries in order to bring jobs to our
fellow Filipinos to increase our GDP, GNP, and our employment rate. We must aim to
provide equal opportunities for all Filipinos in order to minimize inequality in our nation. We
must aim to provide all Filipinos access to premium health care and develop strategies to
combat environmental pollution in order to improve our life expectancy. With our efforts,
through the use of science and technology, our country will truly flourish.

I hope you enjoyed listening. Thank you very much!