Community and Family Studies
HSC Enrichment Day
2012
Option
Social Impact of Technology
HSC Question
Identify ONE piece of technology, and
outline its economic impact.
(4 Marks)
Students require knowledge of:
• ONE piece of technology
• Economic impact of technology –
positive and/or negative impacts
• Relevant examples
Reasons for the Development of
Technology
B – Betterment of society
I – Improvement on existing technology
G – Global community emergence
C – Competition with existing technology
O – Other
R – Response to social problems
E – Economic benefit
(taken from Mitchell et al, 2011)
Reasons for the Development of
Technology
Reason
Description
Examples
* Improve upon existing
technology
New and improved technologies
are created to provide more
advanced, superior products.
•Telephone
•Television
•Music
•Refrigerators
* Economic benefit
The production of technology
can result in economic gain for
both producers and consumers.
•E-tags
• Mobile phones
* Competition with existing
technology
A means of competing for
consumer demand with other
organisations or products.
•Mobile phones
•MP3 players
* Social betterment
Promote social change for the
betterment or improvement of
society as a whole.
•Dishwashers
• Assistive technologies
• Motor vehicle
• Communication technologies
Reasons for the Development of
Technology
Reasons
Descriptions
Examples
* Emergence of a global
community
Creating an interactive
global community, in
which communication is
made possible between
communities.
•Webcam
• Video conference
* Responses to social
problems
Developed in an attempt to •Medical care
prevent or respond to
• Human mobility
current or future social
• Justice
problems.
• Parenting
* Others
* Performance enhancing
technologies
HSC Question
Describe reasons for the development of
technology.
(8 marks)
HSC Question
Identify technologies that have
developed in response to social problems
and assess the impact of these
technologies on communities.
(10 marks)
Technology as a Response
to a Social Problem
Technology as a Response to a Social
Problem – Prosthetic Limbs
What social problems have been
addressed by this technology?
Impact of Technology on Community
Life in the Future
Area of life
Building
Communications
Consumer services
Entertainment
Finance
Food
Health and medicine
Knowledge
Leisure
Transport
Impact
References
•http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/pdf_doc/communityfamily-studies-st6-syl-from2010.pdf
•* Mitchell, K. Et al . (2011). Community and Family Studies: HSC Course.
McGraw Hill; Sydney.
Useful Sources
•http://hsc.csu.edu.au/
* Harrison, J. (2010). Excel Senior High School: Community and Family
Studies. Pascal Press.