"Technology is the key to understanding social change today". Critically analyse.

• It led to emergence of new class of Bullock Capitalists (Rudolph & Rudolph)

• Consolidation of landholdings, subsidy policy by govt for grain production created powerful class of landowners who did not let land reforms succeed.

→ Hence, agri labourers proliferated in Indian scenario and size of landholding is very small.

→ This in-turn drew forward migration to urban spaces, feeding into Urbanisation.

(1) Technological reach of Digital platforms, Social media are driving social change

→ Telemedicine/ tele education can reach remotest corners.

→ Governance systems can be made robust with DBT, e-transfer of wages, scholarships, subsidy preventing leakages, corruption and rent seeking behaviour.

→ Social Media is driving changes to how people perceive themselves, self image, which can be understood by Interactionist perspective.

→ Pre-occupation with digital media is limiting warmth in relations, face to face interactions are declining, even conjugal relations are adversely affected.

◎ Technology advancement in Robotics, Artificial Intelligence etc can lead to human enhancement and virtual augmentation.

◎ Robert Blauner has argued that technology drives alienation as human aspects reduce in importance. This is verified by Frank Hull et al.

◎ Technology changes at workplace are leading to McDonaldisation (Ritzer) where works are mechanised & predetermined steps are there. This can be linked to disenchantment with natural world which Weber predicted.

Hence Technology can be an important parameter based on which the change in society and its institutions can be studied in detail.