Neal Postman

1931-2003

Postman asserts that irrespective of the intentions of the users (or the owners), technology always has unintended consequences, that these consequences are both positive and negative, and that these consequences are rarely evenly distributed throughout the society. Postman calls this the “Frankenstein Syndrome” in which technology is developed for a limited and specific purpose. “But once the machine is built, we discover—sometimes to our horror, usually to our discomfort, always to our surprise—that it has ideas of its own." Inevitably new technologies cause changes in institutional structures as well as ideas, ideologies, beliefs, and even habits of thought. This, Postman asserts, is generally true of technology; it is especially true of communications technologies. For Postman, the prime movers in sociocultural change are technology and consequent changes of the division of labor; combined these forces change social structures and ultimately the very character of the men and women who inhabit the society.

Study Questions:

Address the following questions fully and completely in your own words and voice; save your answers electronically. You will see at least one of these questions on your next unit exam in which you will be asked to demonstrate that you have read and mastered the material. Prepare your answers now.

Why is Postman considered a Durkheimian? What elements of his theory do not fit this mold?
How has the socialization process changed in the 20th century? How have these changes affected childhood?
How has television affected social and political discourse in modern American society?
In what sense is technological change "ecological" in nature?
Compare and contrast technocracy and technopoly.? Which do we live in?

Read:

Chapter 7: "Neal Postman's Technological Determinism" in Macrosociology: The Study of Sociocultural Systems.

Neil Postman's Technopoly