11.6.4: An Emerging New Type of Society Biotech? Artificial Intelligence?

 11.6.4: An Emerging New Type of Society: Biotech? Artificial Intelligence? 

We seem to be on the verge of a new type of society. This one could be ushered in by advances in biology, especially the deciphering of the human genome system. Or the emerging technology that is leading to our new type of society could be artificial intelligence. Although the specifics of this new society have yet to unfold, the technological advances on which it is based should bring greater abundance and leisure, and allow us to lead longer, healthier lives. Its effects on the inequalities of the world’s nations are likely to be spotty. Some poorer nations may be able to adapt the new technology to develop their economies, while others remain in poverty. Rather abstract? Read the following Applying Sociology to Your Life. Applying Sociology to Your Life Your Work and Your Future in the Global Village The broad changes in societies that I just sketched may seem to be merely abstract matters, but they are far from irrelevant to your life. A changing society has profound effects on your life. If you had grown up in our industrial society, you likely would not have gone to college. Fresh out of high school—if you went that far—you probably would have marched through the factory gates. But now, with the information explosion of our postindustrial society, college is both more necessary than it used to be and also much more accessible. When you graduate from college, you will avoid those factory gates and most likely will do some form of “knowledge work.” You probably will manage information or will design, sell, or service products. Work is vastly more than an activity or a paycheck. The type of work you do has profound implications for your life. Work produces attitudes, and it even affects how you view yourself and the world. Work also produces social networks, which, in turn, limit or expand your opportunities and influence how you view yourself and others. Increasingly, you are living in a globally connected society. To gain a broader perspective of your future work, let’s place it in a global context. Think of the globe as one large village, divided into three neighborhoods. These are the three worlds of industrialization that you read about in Chapter 7. Some nations are located in the poor part of the global village. Their citizens do menial work and barely eke out a living. Life is so precarious that some even starve to death, while their fellow villagers in the rich neighborhood have plenty to eat, and in extreme cases feast on steak and lobster, washed down with vintage Chateau Lafite Rothschild. It’s the same global village, but what a difference the neighborhood makes. Now peer closer. Look within any one of these three neighborhoods. Again you will see severe inequalities. In the poor neighborhood, not everyone is poor, and in the rich neighborhood, there are pockets of poverty. Your work, whatever it is going to be, will take place within this global division. As the global economic leader, the United States occupies the most luxurious mansion in the best neighborhood and spearheads the coming biotech society. It is quite likely that your social location will place you among the Earth’s privileged. For Your Consideration The matter that I am going to ask you to consider is not a usual part of introductory sociology texts, but it touches on vital issues of your life. → Do you think that your more privileged work and social location bring with them any obligations for those who live in the poor part of the global village? → How about for those who live in the poorer part of the rich neighborhood that you occupy? No one can answer these questions for you. They are personal matters, and only you can provide the answers. I just want to provide the invitation for you to apply what you are learning in a slightly different way.