XIX ISA World Congress of Sociology (July 15-21, 2018)

439

Real Life Sociology: Understanding Society in a Digital Age

RC23 Sociology of Science and Technology (host committee)

Language: English

This session invites papers that examine the intersection of digital technology and social life. Sociology has a long tradition of research that looks at technology and society (Real Life Sociology, 2017); for example Max Weber wrote about the rise of science, Durkheim about the rise of modern industry, and Marx about the role of technology in work relations under capitalism. This session aims to clarify and question those foundational understandings in the present-day context of computers, digital technology, and social media. We will ask, how do digital technologies affect the ways we socialize, work, and obtain social support? Further, how has globalization affected the impact of technology on society, and vice versa? What approaches, methodologies, and theories are sociologists developing to tackle these pressing questions? Since the intersection of technology and society can be examined using a wide range of perspectives and methodologies, we invite papers that provide new empirical understandings, explore new theoretical approaches, and provide critical engagement with specific technologies through case studies. We particularly encourage submissions that highlight the cultural dimensions of technology adoption and use, and their social implications for society.