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Introduction to Sociology 3e

Key Terms

Introduction to Sociology 3eKey Terms
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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
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