Study on the Correlation between Technology Innovation and Social Progress

Abstract

Technology innovation has changed our lives in various ways, including our methods of production, lifestyles and ways of thinking. Sociology research tries to explain how technology evolved and how technology and society interact. Most studies in sociology have been conducted qualitatively, while almost all quantitative studies about technology and society have been conducted in economics. Undeniably, economics is one of the most important social activities in our lives, but obviously, it is not the only important one. Technologies affect our lives not only through economic growth but also in a more direct way. Hence, a quantitative study on technology and society is needed. This study tries to measure technology innovation and social progress, seeks to explore the relationship between technology and our society quantitatively by applying Canonical Correlation Analysis, and suggests a new angle to analyze technology innovation. Furthermore, we proposed a new method of measuring social progress, which offers a different insight on social evaluation. Lastly, we found that not all technology innovation has a positive correlation with social progress. Some technologies have a negative correlation with society. The correlation structure between technology and society is different across the different characteristics of countries.