Computers as cultural objects

Type :

Term papers

Pages :

3 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

07/13/2009

Category :

Political science

Sub category :

Social sciences

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Summary :

Introduction
Computer as the creation of culture
The significant computers as cultural objects
Struggles over the meaning of computers in a cultural context
Functionalist theory on computer as a cultural object
Conclusion
Bibliography

Abstract

The computer is without a doubt a central to the creation of culture in the twentieth-century (and beyond). Why is it that the computer has become so central to our culture when it is just a tool, or specifically a means for processing and spreading information? It many ways it is just like a piece of paper in that it can absorb what is applied to it, but it can also do so much more. It is a means of production that had seemingly endless possibilities.

The computer is so much more than just a piece of equipment. This is evident in the way that people present their computers in the offices, their homes and other places. When a computer sits in a home, it typically has a dedicated space, maybe even its own room, it is surrounded by periphery equipment like printers, a monitor, and even a computer chair and desk. When it is in an office the same setting exists. When a computer comes in the form of a laptop, expressions of culture can still be seen, for example in the way the laptop is decorated.