Raymond Williams and the culture of televisual flow.

TITLE
YOUR NAME
SUBJECT
PROFESSOR’S NAME
SCHOOL
DATE
The development of diversity in media has become more apparent with the advancement of technology. With new innovations, society has been more connected through media and the dissemination of information has become more convenient. Information and news update about revent events in any parts of the world has become accessible anytime throughout the day. On the average, an American spends 20% of their time in a day by watching television (The Nielsen Company, 2010). Since 1950s and 1960s, significant changes has been observed among the various areas of media. The development of diversity in media has become more apparent with the advancement of technology.
In Williams’ Television: Technology and Cultural Form, he mentioned that the diversity in media can be considered as “incentives and responses within a phase of general social transformation” (Williams, 1974). The unpredictability on the development of technology is highly emphasized by Williams, claiming that techonology will keep on progressing but argues that this advancement would depend on the influence of the social context from where it will develop. He believed that technology won’t improve on it’s own, taking a particular shape but rather, advancement of technology arises from the capacity of such technology and the needs of an individual or group of individual. These opposing views about technology and society is a real debate between which side would outweigh the other. Observing how technology advanced for the purpose of the betterment of the society nowadays, I agree with Williams’ claim.
To elaborate further in regards to this issue, the arguments of Marshall McLuhan provided influential meanings that is conflicting with what Williams believed. McLuhan argued that this communication technology is an extension of human mind’s psychic. The nature of communications which is based on speech had awakened through the international and interactive possibilities that these media communications had offerred. It can be imolied here that research and development are self-generating.
Through research and development, the discoveries of new and advanced technologies are a result of thorough research and development over time. These technological innovation then then determines the social change and progress. This is the claim that Williams has strongly opposes. Application, intention and investment are implied in his alternate view wherein television is viewed as a communication technology that resulted from a set of responses and emphasis within a capitalist society. These were developed as a response to social needs as well as from the specific intentions of particular groups needing its uses such as the development of telegraphy for the railways’ needs. Mobile privatization of television was seen in the improvement in the home of a small family.
Technology that is shaped by the social structure and cultural values pertains to technological determinism. New innovations have emerged through a rigorous process of research and development which contributed greatly to how the society was changed. This improvements had said to laid foundations to today’s modern world. In his book, Williams does not agree on technological determinism and opposes this claims. He invalidates arguements claiming that technologies are the product of evolution through extensive research and development, uninfluenced with any social, political, and economic interest. In addition to this, the idea of technology determining a social response is rejected. He presented several arguments in supporting his belief through chacterization of a television.
Williams claims that technology is a product of human’s needs and its development has arose from human’s perspective. He emphasizes that society holds more power over technology than this over us. The advancement of technology is due to the influence of the society, and not by itself. Moreover, technology is viewed as a tool with several uses that people take advantage of. He also claimed that a medium’s content has significance depicting technology’s function wherein its separation from what it is seem impossible. Thus, humans have provided meaning to technology and how we use these technologies shaped our culture and our behavior.
As compared to other scientific discoveries by unrecognized individuals, the invention of television was foreseen in technical ways. Even though countries were unconnected, societal needs and social conditions have led to better communications systems along with new possibilities. As a response to the increasing societal needs, television has emerged along with other technological product. The era of industrialization as well as modernization have paved way for the rising demand for organization and control and efficient communication. The development of television was influenced by other technologies of that time such as the development of electricity, photography, and pictures in motion. Its invention depended on the realization of other inventions. This can be closely related to photo-telegraphy. The idea of a television can be illustrated by several researches and attempts of different individuals aiming to make this idea into a reality. Its esrly stage of development includes photo-telegraphy. In 1842, a device utlizing electric wires for the transmission of pictures were proposed by Bain. This was followed by Bakewell who proposed a cooying telegraph in 1847. Caselli, on the other han...