The disharmony between the rapid growth of technology and slower transformation of social institutions and beliefs is known as
Understanding Cultural Lag: Technology and Social Change
The question asks to identify the term that describes the disharmony or gap between the rapid advancement of technology and the slower adaptation of social institutions and beliefs.
What is Cultural Lag?
Cultural lag is a sociological concept introduced by William F. Ogburn in 1922. It refers to the notion that culture takes time to catch up with technological innovations, leading to social problems and conflicts. Essentially, it's the delay between changes in material culture and changes in non-material culture.
- Material Culture: This includes physical objects, resources, and spaces that people use to define their culture, such as homes, neighborhoods, cities, technologies, tools, and goods. Technology is a key part of material culture.
- Non-material Culture: This consists of the abstract ideas, customs, norms, values, institutions, and beliefs that define a group's way of life. Social institutions (like government, education, family) and beliefs are part of non-material culture.
When technology (material culture) progresses rapidly, the established social institutions, norms, and beliefs (non-material culture) often lag behind, struggling to adapt to the new technological reality. This creates a 'lag' or gap, resulting in social friction, ethical dilemmas, and challenges in updating laws and regulations to suit the new technological landscape.
Analyzing the Options
Let's examine the given options in the context of the question:
| Option | Explanation | Relevance to Question |
|---|---|---|
| Technological lag | This term typically refers to a situation where one region, country, or group is behind others in terms of technological development or adoption. It doesn't primarily describe the internal disharmony within a society between technology and its social structures/beliefs. | Not directly applicable to the described disharmony within a society. |
| Communicational lag | This refers to delays or inefficiencies in the process of communication. While technology affects communication, this term doesn't capture the broader issue of social institutions and beliefs adapting to technology. | Relates specifically to communication delays, not the broader cultural adaptation issue. |
| Cultural lag | This term specifically describes the gap that exists when material culture (like technology) changes more rapidly than non-material culture (like norms, institutions, beliefs). This precisely matches the scenario presented in the question. | Directly describes the disharmony between rapid technology growth and slower social transformation. |
| Informational lag | This refers to delays in receiving or processing information. Similar to communicational lag, it's a specific type of delay and doesn't encompass the broader cultural adaptation issue described. | Relates to delays in information flow, not the cultural adaptation of institutions and beliefs. |
Conclusion
Based on the analysis, the term that accurately describes the disharmony between the rapid growth of technology and the slower transformation of social institutions and beliefs is Cultural lag.
Revision Table: Key Concepts
| Term | Definition | Relation to Technology and Society |
|---|---|---|
| Cultural Lag | The gap between the introduction of new technology (material culture) and the changes in norms, values, institutions, and beliefs (non-material culture) needed to adapt to it. | Highlights the challenge societies face in integrating rapid technological advancements into existing social structures and belief systems. |
| Material Culture | Physical objects, technology, and infrastructure. | Innovates quickly, often driving the need for changes in non-material culture. |
| Non-material Culture | Ideas, beliefs, values, norms, and social institutions. | Tends to change more slowly, leading to the 'lag'. |
Additional Information: Examples of Cultural Lag
Cultural lag can be observed in many aspects of modern society:
- Privacy Concerns: Rapid development of surveillance technology and data collection methods outpacing laws and social norms regarding privacy.
- Genetic Technology: Advances in genetic editing creating ethical and social debates that traditional beliefs and regulations are slow to address.
- Social Media and Interaction: The quick rise of social media platforms changing how people communicate and form relationships, while institutions like schools, workplaces, and governments struggle to adapt policies and address issues like online harassment or misinformation.
- Automation and Employment: Rapid automation technologies affecting job markets, while educational systems and social safety nets are slow to retrain the workforce or adapt to changing employment landscapes.
Understanding cultural lag helps us recognize and address the challenges societies face when technology evolves faster than social structures and values.
Important Questions from Social Institutions - Teaching
Who classified three aspects of caste - secular, ideological, integrative ?
Children coming from close-knit and caring family are a victim of ______.
Which of the following statements are correct with respect to the tribal community?
I. The word Tribal (Adivasi) means native.
II. Tribals have their own languages.
III. A state like Orissa is home to over 60 different tribal groups.
What is the appropriate term to describe a woman marrying the brother of her deceased husband?
Who among the following criticised the effects of "mass media" and "culture industry" on population?
